SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR RECOMMENDING AN APPLICATION FROM A MOBILE STATION

• US 20110269484A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sadana, Rajeev, Tims, Brian, CAZANAS, Carlos A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems and methods for recommending an application from a mobile station are shown and described. Components of the network and components in communication with the network cooperate to confirm whether a mobile station recommended to receive the application is capable of executing the application and provisioning the application for transmission to the recommended mobile station.

Claims

1. A method of recommending and downloading a mobile station application to an end-user of a mobile station, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a mobile messaging service message recommending the mobile station application, through a mobile communication network from a recommending mobile station, the received recommending message comprising an application identifier associated with the recommended mobile station application and one or more mobile station identifiers of users of mobile stations to which to recommend the application;

for each of the one or more mobile station identifiers, determining whether a corresponding mobile station is capable of executing the recommended mobile station application, to identify at least one mobile station corresponding to one of the identifiers as being capable of executing the recommended mobile station application;

storing provisioning information with respect to the recommended mobile station application to prepare the recommended mobile station application for transmission to each mobile station identified as being capable of executing the mobile station recommended application;

upon completion of the provisioning, transmitting a mobile messaging service message recommending the mobile station application through the mobile communication network to each mobile station identified as being capable of executing the recommended mobile station application;

receiving a response to the transmitted message through the mobile communication network from a responding mobile station identified as being capable of executing the recommended mobile station application; and

downloading the recommended mobile station application through the mobile communication network to the responding mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining also includes determining that at least one mobile station is not capable of executing the recommended mobile station application and further comprising transmitting to the recommending mobile station an indication that one or more of the identified mobile stations is not able to execute the recommended mobile station application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommended mobile station application is a Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received recommendation messaging service message is addressed to a short code that indicates that the messaging service message contains an application recommendation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the recommendation messaging service message occurs during the purchase of the mobile station application by the recommending mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the recommendation messaging service message occurs after the purchase of the mobile station application by the recommending mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application identifier associated with the recommended application comprises an alphanumeric string.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alphanumeric string of the application identifier comprises a keyword.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a price for the recommended mobile station application and storing the determined price as part of the provisioning.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more mobile station identifiers of users of mobile stations comprises a mobile directory number (MDN).

11. A mobile communication network, comprising:

a service creation manager device that stores information related to whether a mobile station can execute a mobile station application;

a zone provisioning network device that communicates with an application server to prepare a mobile station application for transmission to a mobile station; and

a group provisioning manager network device in communication with the service creation manager and the zone provisioning network device, the group provisioning manager network device configured to perform functions comprising;

receiving a mobile messaging service message recommending the mobile station application, the received recommending message comprising an application identifier associated with the recommended mobile station application and one or more mobile station identifiers of users of mobile stations to which to recommend the mobile station application;

receiving an indication from the service creation manager device whether each of the one or more mobile station identified in recommendation messaging service message is capable of executing the recommended mobile station application;

transmitting provisioning information to the zone provisioning network device, the provision information used to prepare the recommended mobile station application for transmission to one or more mobile stations capable of executing the recommended application;

receiving a response from the zone provisioning network device, the response indicating that the provisioning is complete; and

transmitting, responsive to receiving the response, a messaging service message to each mobile station identified as capable of executing the recommended mobile station application, the message indicating that the mobile station application has been recommended.

12. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein:

the group provisioning manager network device is further configured to perform functions comprising receiving a response to the transmitted messaging service message from each of the mobiles stations identified as being capable of executing the recommend application, and

the mobile communication network further comprises an application server device configured to perform functions comprising transmitting the recommended mobile station application to each mobile station that responded with a message indicating to download the recommended application.

13. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the application is a BREW application.

14. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the service creation manager device, zone provisioning network device, and the group provisioning manager network device are the same device.

15. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the service creation manager device, zone provisioning network device, and the group provisioning manager network device are different devices.

16. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the application identifier associated with the recommended mobile station application comprises an alphanumeric string.

17. The mobile communication network of claim 16, wherein the alphanumeric string associated with the recommended mobile station application comprises a keyword.

18. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the group provisioning manager network device is further configured to perform functions comprising receiving pricing information for the recommended application.

19. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the received a mobile messaging service message recommending the mobile station application is addressed to a short code.

20. The mobile communication network of claim 11, wherein the download messaging service message comprises a simple messaging service (SMS) message.