METHODS FOR ADDRESS BOOK SYNCHRONIZATION AND SUBSCRIPTION STATUS NOTIFICATION

• US 20110060632A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: PATEL, Biren, SIVALINGHAM, Sanjeevan
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems

Abstract

The various disclosed techniques and equipment relate to synchronizing a subscriber'"'"'s address books located in a portal and in the subscriber'"'"'s mobile station, determining the subscription status of a directory number of another party with whom the subscriber intends to communicate, and/or for enabling the subscriber to make a referral to another party who might not be a qualified subscriber.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for checking a subscription status of a directory number from a mobile station, comprising the steps of:

a) sending a directory number subscription status request from the mobile station to a subscription database, requesting a subscription status with respect to a directory number of another station,

b) receiving a directory number subscription status response from the subscription database, wherein the subscription status response includes the directory number subscription status; and

c) displaying the directory number subscription status on the mobile station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein sending the directory number subscription status request and receiving the directory number subscription status response are performed via short message service.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the directory number is an originating station number for an incoming communication to the mobile station, and the method further comprises:

d) prompting a mobile station user to decide whether to accept the incoming communication based upon the displayed directory number subscription status; and

e) accepting or rejecting the incoming communication upon a decision by the mobile station user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the directory number is a destination number for an outgoing communication, and the method further comprising:

d) prompting a mobile station user to decide whether to send the outgoing communication based upon the displayed directory number subscription status; and

e) sending or canceling the outgoing communication upon a decision by the mobile station user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the directory number is a candidate for addition to an address book associated with the mobile station, and the method further comprising:

d) prompting a mobile station user to decide whether to add the directory number to an address book based upon the displayed directory number subscription status; and

e) adding or rejecting the directory number upon a decision by the mobile station user.

21. A method for using an entity to send a referral offer to a target directory number, comprising steps:

a) receiving a referral request for the target directory number from a sender mobile station with a sender directory number having a sender subscription status;

b) determining a target subscription status based on the target directory number;

c) determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer, based at least in part upon the sender subscription status and the target subscription status;

d) generating some or all of the referral offer message content related to a carrier or offer details if not performed by the sender mobile station; and

e) sending a referral offer to the target directory number upon a determination that the target directory number is eligible, and not sending a referral offer to the target directory number upon a determination that the target directory number is not eligible.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the entity is in the carrier'"'"'s network and is a centralized address book database.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the entity is in the carrier'"'"'s network and is a subscription status database.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the entity is hosted by a third party on behalf of the carrier.

25. A method of sending a referral offer from a sender mobile station to a target directory number, comprising the following steps:

a) receiving carrier related information to be included in the referral offer and carrier related rules determining the timing of when the referral offer is sent;

b) receiving a subscription status of the target directory number;

c) determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer, based at least in part upon a subscription status of the sender mobile station and the subscription status of the target directory number;

d) generating a referral offer message based at least in part on the received carrier related information; and

e) sending a referral offer to a target directory number upon a determination that the target directory number is eligible, and not sending a referral offer to the target directory number upon a determination that the target directory number is not eligible.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining whether the target directory number is eligible for a referral offer is further based at least in part upon whether another referral offer has recently been sent to the target directory number within a predetermined period of time.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the referral offer includes a personal message from a user of the sender mobile station.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the referral offer is transmitted using short message service or multimedia message service protocols.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the referral offer is transmitted using short message service or multimedia message service protocols.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

f) sending notification to the sender mobile station that a referral offer has been sent to the target directory number.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

g) awarding benefits to an account associated with the sender mobile station conditionally upon the target directory number accepting the referral offer.