SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN INTERACTIVE CONTENT PORTAL ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100035589A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Balsillie, James Laurence, Mallick, Martyn Henri
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A portal application is provided that can be used on a mobile device to display relevant advertising content to the user at convenient times. The portal application can utilize a portal browser that is launched when appropriate, which displays the advertising content in an interactive way and enables the user to follow up with tasks requiring a data connection that is currently unavailable, by keeping track of a user queue. The advertising content may be filtered from a base of advertising content provided by the advertising content providers in advanced and is pre-fetched and stored in an advertising content cache for convenient access when appropriate. The portal application can be used with a location estimator to narrow and categorize the advertising content at least in part based on location, either physical location or preferred location or both based on a hierarchy of relevant data.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive content on a mobile device, said method comprising:

detecting an idle event during use of said mobile device;

upon detecting said idle event, displaying an interactive content portal on a display of said mobile device during an idle period associated with said idle event;

using said interactive content portal for presenting user-specific content, the user-specific content being filtered from a set of content according to data pertaining to a user of said mobile device; and

prompting interaction with said user-specific content during said idle period.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said idle event corresponds to use of a phone application on said mobile device and wherein said portal is displayed for at least a duration of use of said phone application.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising pre-fetching said user-specific content at predetermined intervals and storing said user-specific content in a content cache for said portal.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said data pertaining to said user is obtained from a user-defined profile indicative of preferences pertaining to said filtered content.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

upon detecting a user interaction with said user-specific content, if a task associated with said user interaction employs a data connection which is unavailable, adding said task to a user queue for executing said task when said data connection becomes available.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a log indicative of user interactions with said user-specific content; and

performing additional filtering of said user-specific content relative to the log.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein upon termination of a currently running application, keeping said portal on said display until a current user interaction is completed or said portal is closed.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said set of content comprises advertising content provided by one or more advertising content providers.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

filtering said set of content using location-based data for said mobile device, said location based data indicating an estimate of a physical location of said mobile device according to the following hierarchy;

GPS location;

cell tower location;

user related data; and

location-based subscriber data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said user-specific content is obtained according to user related data stored in a user portal profile, said user related data comprising at least one of demographic data or user requested data.

11. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method according to claim 1.

12. A mobile device comprising a display, one or more input mechanisms and a memory, said mobile device being configured for:

detecting an idle event during use of said mobile device;

upon detecting said idle event, displaying an interactive content portal on a display of said mobile device during an idle period associated with said idle event;

using said interactive content portal for presenting user-specific content, the user-specific content being filtered from a set of content according to data pertaining to a user of said mobile device; and

prompting interaction with said user-specific content during said idle period.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12 wherein said idle event corresponds to use of a phone application stored on said mobile device and said portal is displayed for at least a duration of use of said phone application.

14. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein said mobile device is further configured for pre-fetching said user-specific content at predetermined intervals and storing said user-specific content in a content cache for said portal in said memory.

15. The mobile device according to claim 12 wherein said data pertaining to said user is obtained from a user-defined profile indicative of preferences pertaining to said filtered content, said user defined profile being stored in said memory.

16. The mobile device according to claim 12, said mobile device being further configured for:

upon detecting a user interaction with said user-specific content, if a task associated with said user interaction employs a data connection which is unavailable, adding said task to a user queue for executing said task when said data connection becomes available.

17. The mobile device according to claim 12, said mobile device being further configured for:

maintaining a log indicative of user interactions with said user-specific content; and

performing additional filtering of said user-specific content relative to the log.

18. The mobile device according to claim 12 wherein upon termination of a currently running application, keeping said portal on said display until a current user interaction is completed or said portal is closed.

19. The mobile device according to claim 12 wherein said set of content comprises advertising content provided by one or more advertising content providers.

20. The mobile device according to claim 12, said mobile device further comprising a GPS receiver and a subscriber identity module, said mobile device being configured for filtering said set of content using location-based data for said mobile device, said location based data indicating an estimate of a physical location of said mobile device according to the following hierarchy:

GPS location;

cell tower location;

user related data; and

location-based subscriber data.

21. The mobile device according to claim 12, further configured for obtaining said user-specific content according to user related data stored in a user portal profile, said user related data comprising at least one of demographic data or user requested data.