Method and system for managing delivery of communications

• US 20080311847A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: CVON
• Inventors: Ahtisaari, Marko, Ahopelto, Timo, Antikainen, Ismo, Romppanen, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Method and system for managing delivery of communications such as advertisements to mobile telephone subscribers where delivery to subscribers is temporarily prevented or blocked at the request of the subscribers. In particular, a subscriber can temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements when they are roaming.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

enabling the user to set at least one parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, one of the at least one parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of at least one type of communication; and

delivering communications to the user in accordance with the set at least one parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to interface with a computer program managing the delivery of communications to the user in order to set the at least one parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing communication services to the user in exchange for a requirement that the user receive communications.

2. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one type of communication comprises an advertisement or a message from an operator of the user'"'"'s home communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising preventing delivery of communications to the user when the user has set the at least one parameter to temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user is assigned a home communications network and the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether a communications network being operatively used by the user is the user'"'"'s home communications network or a roaming communications network; and

preventing delivery of advertisements to the user when the user has set the at least one parameter to suspend delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network and the user is operatively determined to be using a roaming communications network.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications based on the user'"'"'s location, further comprising:

determining a location of the user based on a communications network the user is using; and

maintaining location information about the user in a database,

the step of delivering communications to the user comprising accessing the database to determine the location of the user and managing the delivery of communications based on the location of the user and the at least one parameter.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising regulating the user'"'"'s ability to set the at least one parameter and thus the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications is regulated to limit the number of days within a predetermined period of time set by a service agreement for use of the mobile communications device that the user can suspend delivery of communications.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

requiring the user to receive, be available to receive or respond to communications during a predetermined period of time set by a service agreement for use of the mobile communication device; and

extending this predetermined period of time by the duration in which the user has temporarily suspended delivery of communications.

12. A system for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

means for enabling the user to set at least one parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, one of the at least one parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of at least one type of communication; and

means for delivering communications to the user in accordance with the at least one parameter set by the user via said means for enabling the user to set at least one parameter.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one type of communication comprises an advertisement or a message from an operator of the user'"'"'s home communications network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for delivering communications are arranged to prevent delivery of communications to the user when the user has set the at least one parameter to temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user is assigned a home communications network and one of the parameters is a parameter relating to suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for determining whether a communications network being operatively used by the user is the user'"'"'s home communications network or a roaming communications network, said means for delivering communications being arranged to prevent delivery of communications to the user when the user has set the at least one parameter to suspend delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network and the user is operatively determined to be using a roaming communications network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications based on the user'"'"'s location, further comprising:

means for determining a location of the user based on a communications network the user is using; and

means for maintaining location information about the user in a database,

said means for delivering communications being arranged to access the database to determine the location of the user and manage the delivery of communications based on the location of the user and the at least one set parameter.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said means for enabling the user to set parameters comprise a computer program and are arranged to enable the user to interface with said computer program in order to set the at least one parameter.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said means for enabling the user to set the at least one parameter are arranged to limit the number of days within a predetermined period of time set by a service agreement for use of the mobile communications device that the user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

20. A system for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

a communications management system arranged to receive communications from advertisers for delivery to the user;

a database containing at least one user-determined parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, one of the at least one parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of communications; and

a communications network coupled to said communications management system and said database for delivering communications from said communications management system to the user in accordance with the at least one user-determined parameter in said database.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications to be delivered to the user comprise an advertisement or a message from an operator of the user'"'"'s home communications network.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a determining system for determining the communications network being used by the user, said database containing data about the communications network being used by the user as determined by said determining system and providing the data to said communications management system, said communications management system being arranged to manage delivery of communications to the user via said communications network based on the communications network being used by the user and the at least one user-determined parameter in said database.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said determining system is a home location register.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said at least one parameter relates to suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said communications management system is arranged to manage delivery of communications to the user based on whether the user is using a home communications network or a roaming network and whether the user set the at least one parameter to suspend delivery of communications when using a roaming communications network.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising an interface for enabling the user to interface with said database and manage his at least one parameter.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein said database is arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for the temporary suspension of delivery of communications.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein an additional one of said at least one user-determined delivery parameter is whether the user wants to temporarily suspend delivery of all communications to their mobile device, said database being arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for suspension of delivery of all communications.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein an additional one of said at least one user-determined delivery parameter is a selectable list of different communication sources from which the user could receive communications and a selectable list of different communication types which the user could receive.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications management system is arranged to regulate the user'"'"'s ability to determine said at least one user-determined parameter by limiting the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications is regulated by said communications management system to limit the number of days within a predetermined period of time set by a service agreement for use of the mobile communication device that the user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications management system includes a secondary communications management system arranged to manage communications to the user, said secondary communications management system being arranged to receive communications intended for the user, data from said database about said at least one user-determined delivery parameter and data about the communications network being used by the user from said determining system, to determine whether the communications should de delivered to the user, and if so, to control a communications network element to deliver the communications to the user.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said secondary communications management system is arranged to receive an indication of the sender and recipient of communications and optionally the communications via the communications network element.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein said communications management system includes tools which enable each advertiser to define rules of advertisement campaigns.

35. The system of claim 20, further comprising a billing system coupled to said communications management system for monitoring usage of the communications networks by the user and monitoring usage and payments of or for communications being delivered to each user'"'"'s mobile device.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein said database is arranged in said communications management system.

37. A computer program resident on computer-readable media and arranged to manage delivery of communications to a user'"'"'s mobile device, by

enabling the user to manage at least one parameter for delivery of communications to the mobile device;

maintaining the at least one parameter managed by the user in a database; and

checking the database prior to delivery of communications to the user to ascertain whether the user has permitted or blocked the delivery of such communications.

38. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the communications comprise an advertisement or a message from an operator of the user'"'"'s home communications network

39. The computer program of claim 38, wherein the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications.

40. The computer program of claim 39, wherein the computer program is further arranged to limit the user'"'"'s ability to temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements.

41. The computer program of claim 40, wherein the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements is limited to a set number of days within a predetermined period of time set by a service agreement for use of the mobile device that the user can temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements.

42. The computer program of claim 39, wherein the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of advertisements while the user is using a communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

43. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the computer program enables the user to manage the at least one parameter using an Internet interface.

44. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the computer program enables the user to manage the at least one parameter using their mobile device.

45. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the computer program is further arranged to enable the user to manage a list of senders of communications from which the user will accept or will not accept communications.

46. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the computer program is further arranged to enable the user to manage a list of types of communications which the user will accept or will not accept.

47. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the database contains an indication of a communications network the user is using and the computer program is arranged to manage delivery of the communications to the user based on which communications network they are using.

48. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the at least one parameter relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications while the user is using a communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network, the computer program being arranged to associate a communications network as each user'"'"'s home communications network and other networks as roaming networks and manage delivery of the communications to the user by preventing delivery of communications to the user when using a roaming network.

49. A computer program resident on computer-readable media and arranged to provide a user with an indication of a remaining time period to suspend delivery of communications to the user'"'"'s mobile device, by determining a total time period limit for which a user may suspend delivery of communications in a predetermined time period;

determining a number of time units for which the user has already suspended delivery of communications in the predetermined time period; and

identifying for the user how many more time units the user can suspend delivery of communications in the predetermined time period.

50. The computer program of claim 49, wherein the communications comprise an advertisement or a message from an operator of the user'"'"'s home communications network.

51. The computer program of claim 49, wherein the computer program is further arranged to limit the user'"'"'s ability to temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements if the user does not have any time units remaining to suspend delivery of communications in the predetermined time period.

52. The computer program of claim 49, wherein the computer program enables the user to identify the number of time units remaining for which the user can suspend delivery of communications in the predetermined time period using their mobile device.

53. The computer program of claim 49, wherein the computer program enables the user to request a number of time units for which the user would currently like to suspend delivery of communications to the user'"'"'s mobile device, and which identifies for the user whether the user has a sufficient number of time units remaining in the predetermined time period to enable suspension of delivery of communications to the user'"'"'s mobile device for the requested number of time units.