METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND CONSUMER-ACCEPTABLE ADVERTISING VIA DATA COMMUNICATIONS CLIENTS

• US 20100094710A1
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Affle India Pvt Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Affle (India) Limited (Affle Global Pte Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramakrishna, Madhusudana
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement

Abstract

In a data communication system a SMS data communication client operates in known fashion. An additional communication channel is established and data being entered into the client is transmitted to a central server. At the server end the user is identified in a customer database which also stored a profile of the user. Information from an ad database is selected for transmission back to the client in dependence upon the data and profile. Where the information takes the form of advertising, it may be displayed by the client as a truncated indicator during message entry and a fuller composition with active links after sending is completed.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for providing information to a terminal device, comprising:

establishing a communications link to a remote data system;

transmitting data being entered, accessed, received, derived or predicted to the remote data system via the communications link;

receiving information, advertising or other relevant data from the remote data system via the communications link, the information, advertising or other relevant data being selected by the remote data system in part dependent on the transmitted data; and

displaying the received information, advertising or other relevant data at the terminal device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitted data is entered, accessed or received via a data communications client configured to handle an e-mail, an SMS message, an instant message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the communications link is separate from a data communications client channel.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data is obtained and displayed substantially concurrently while the transmitted data is being entered, accessed or received.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data selected by the remote data system is refined as additional data is entered or accessed.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein selection is context- or user-dependent.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the communications link runs in background.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein an advertising includes a teaser advertisement and a functional advertisement displayed in sequence.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data is received after a relevance value associated with the information, advertising or other relevant data exceeds a threshold value associated with the transmitted data.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitted data is translated from a first language, grammar or scheme to a second language, grammar or scheme.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein a form of the advertising or information display portion is different phases of data communication.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data include user-accessible links to facilitate user purchases.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitted data is generated when the user looks up an address in an address book, modifies a calendar in a calendar application, or modifies phone settings of the terminal device.

28. A method for displaying advertisements to a user at a terminal device, comprising:

receiving a first advertisement and a second related advertisement from a remote data system via a communications link;

responsive to the user composing or reading an SMS message at the terminal device, displaying the first advertisement, wherein the first advertisement is in part dependent on a user preference and the SMS message; and

responsive to a user indication of interest in the first advertisement, displaying the second related advertisement.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

transmitting data related to the SMS message to the remote data system, wherein the first advertisement is in part dependent on the transmitted data.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the first advertisement is received and displayed substantially in real time while the user is composing or reading the SMS message.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the first advertisement and the second advertisement are cached at the terminal device.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein a received SMS message includes free content dependent on a user selection.

33. A method for providing information from a remote data system, comprising:

establishing a communications link to a terminal device;

receiving data being entered, accessed, received, derived or predicted from the terminal device via the communications link;

transmitting information, advertising or other relevant data from the remote data system via the communications link, the information, advertising or other relevant data being selected in part dependent on the received data; and

causing the terminal device to display the received information, advertising or other relevant data.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

retrieving a user profile from an accessible database, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data selected by the remote data system is in part dependent on the user profile.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

retrieving the information, advertising or other relevant data from an accessible precompiled database.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein a selection of the information, advertising or other relevant data is continually refined as additional data is received.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein an advertising includes a first advertisement and a second related advertisement.

38. A system, comprising:

a terminal device, the terminal device configured to,

establish a communications link to a remote data system,

capture and transmit data being entered, accessed by, derived from or predicted from data being entered, accessed or received by a user, and

receive information, advertising or other relevant data from the remote data system via the communications link, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data is selected dependent on the transmitted data.

39. A system, comprising:

a remote data system, the remote data system configured to,

establish a communications link to a terminal device,

receive data being entered, accessed by, derived from or predicted from data being entered, accessed or received by a user at the terminal device, and

transmit selected information, advertising or other relevant data to the terminal device via the communications link, wherein the information, advertising or other relevant data is dependent on the received data