Digital content distribution system for delivering location specific content to an ad hoc group of mobile subscribers

• US 20110045847A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E-View Connections, LLC
• Original Assignee: E-View Connections, LLC
• Inventors: Tomo, Keith J., Layman, Edwin D., Roin, Lloyd A., Gruber, Daniel O., Penn, Richard J., Hoffberg, Nathan G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A digital content distribution system and method are disclosed for delivering location specific content to an ad hoc group of mobile subscribers and method of delivering subscriber-requested, location-based content directly to a mobile communication device, such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) or other mobile communication device. The system consists of a downloadable application that runs on the subscribers mobile communication devices and communicates with the server-based content composer system. The content composer system manages outgoing content based upon the geographic location reported by the mobile communication device application and the demographic and preference data stored in a subscriber database. Using available messaging technology, such as Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messaging, relevant sponsored content, mobile emergency alerts, and the ability to facilitate 2-way text or voice based services utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping is provided to an ad hoc group of subscribers in designated geographic locations. In order to optimize the utility for deaf and hard of hearing subscribers, the mobile communication device may be placed in a low power sleep or hibernate mode instead of a no power mode when the device is turned off. In a hibernate mode, in response to emergency content, the mobile communication device will wake up to an alert even when it is hibernating. Moreover, the alerts take over the portable device no matter what other tasks are being executed. In accordance with another important aspect of the invention, in response to emergency content, the system will cause the mobile communication device to vibrate even if the mobile communication device has been configured with the vibrate feature turned off.

Claims

1. A content distribution system for providing content to subscribers over a public communications network, the system comprising:

a content server comprising

a first subsystem for receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals from a plurality of mobile communication devices forming a group of subscribers and determining the geographical location of said subscribers; and

a second subsystem for composing digital content;

an aggregator for sending said digital content to plurality of subscribers over a public communication network as a function of the geographical location of said subscribers; and

a plurality of mobile communication devices which each include a global positioning system (GPS), each of mobile communication devices configured to repeatedly report their respective GPS coordinates to said content server and receive digital content from said content composer as a function of its geographical location.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile communication devices include a configurable vibrate function for vibrating the device in response to receiving digital content.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile communication devices are configured to be placed in a hibernate mode and wake up and display said broadcast content when said mobile communication device has been placed in a hibernate mode.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device is configured to display the broadcast content even if the mobile communication devices are busy with other tasks.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said selected content is a SMS message.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said selected content is a MMS message.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said mobile communication devices are configured to vibrate in response to said broadcast content.