SYSTEMS, METHODS, NETWORK ELEMENTS AND APPLICATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH BROWSING OF WEB/WAP SITES AND SERVICES

• US 20120016748A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc., CVON
• Inventors: Aaltonen, Janne, Saru, Sami, Kalliola, Janne
• Granted Patent: US 8,755,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations

Abstract

Methodologies, systems and software support or implement functionality to provide sponsored browsing of web/WAP sites and/or services for mobile device users wherein web sites are selected for browsing in dependence on a data size requirement for providing access to content available from a given web/WAP site.

Claims

1. A system configured to operate a web-browsing service, the system comprising:

one or more network elements configured to receive instructions from a mobile device to access target content or services via the Internet and analyze the instructions and the target content or service source to determine a data size requirement for providing access to the target content or service source; and

a messaging system configured to enable access to the target content or service source via a first access session if the determined data size requirement is less than a value specified by a first access enabling entity,

wherein the messaging system is configured to identify at least one alternative content or service source corresponding to the instructions received from the mobile device if the target content or service source has a data size requirement that is larger than the specified value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is configured to select an information provider to enable said first access session based on an amount of data that the information provider has agreed to sponsor in return for distribution of content associated with the information provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit to the mobile device content associated with the information provider sponsoring the first access session in respect of the target content or service source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmission of content is performed prior to enabling said first access session.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmission of content is performed as part of enabling said first access session.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the transmission of content is performed subsequent to enabling said first access session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is configured to enable access to the alternative content via a second access session.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit content associated with an information provider sponsoring the second access session.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmission of content is performed prior to enabling said second access session.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmission of promotional content is performed as part of enabling said second access session.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmission of promotional content is performed subsequent to enabling said second access session.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit a list of the identified at least one alternative content or services to the mobile device if the target content or service source has a data size requirement that is larger than the specified value to be sponsored by an information provider and the at least one network element is configured to receive from the mobile device a selection of one of the alternative content or service sources, and wherein the messaging system is configured to instruct the at least one network element to enable access to the selected one of the alternative content or service sources, whereby to enable a second access session on the basis of the selected one or more alternative content or service sources.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit content associated with the information provider sponsoring the second access session.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit content prior to enabling the second access session.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit content is performed as part of enabling the second access session.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the messaging system is configured to transmit content is performed subsequent to enabling the second access session.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of at least one alternative content or service source is performed by analyzing metadata associated with the target content or service source and identifying other content or service sources having the same or similar meta data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the analysis of metadata is performed by a search engine.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification of at least one alternative content or service source is performed by identifying content or service sources that are in a same category as the target content or service.

20. A method for operating a web-browsing service, the method comprising:

receiving instructions from a mobile device to access target content or service source via the Internet;

analyzing the instructions and the target content or service source to determine a data size requirement for providing access to the target content or service source;

enabling access to the target content or service source via a first access session if the determined data size requirement is less than a value specified; and

identifying at least one alternative content or service source corresponding to the instructions received from the mobile device if the target content or service source has a data size requirement that is more than the specified value.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting to the mobile device content associated with an information provider enabling the first access session.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmission of content is performed prior to enabling said first access session.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmission of content is performed as part of enabling said first access session.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the transmission of promotional content is performed subsequent to enabling said first access session.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising enabling access to the at least one alternative content or service source via a second access session.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting content associated with the information provider sponsoring the second access session.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmission of content is performed prior to enabling said second access session.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmission of content is performed as part of enabling said second access session.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmission of content is performed subsequent to enabling said second access session.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting a list of the identified at least one alternative content or services to the mobile device if the target content or service source has a data size requirement that is more than the specified value to be sponsored by an information provider;

receiving from the mobile device a selection of one of the alternative content or service sources; and

enabling access to the selected one of the alternative content or service sources via a second access session.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising transmitting content associated with an information provider sponsoring the second access session.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmission of content is performed prior to enabling said second access session.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmission of content is performed as part of enabling said second access session.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the transmission of content is performed subsequent to enabling said second access session.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification of at least one alternative content or service source is performed by analyzing metadata associated with the target content or service source and identifying other content or service sources having the same or similar meta data.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the analysis of metadata is performed by a search engine.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification of at least one alternative content or service source is performed by identifying content or service sources that are in a same category as the target content or service.

38. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for carrying out a method for operating a web-browsing service, the method comprising:

receiving instructions from a mobile device to access target content or service source via the Internet;

analyzing the instructions and the target content or service source to determine a data size requirement for providing access to the target content or service source;

enabling access to the target content or service source via a first access session if the determined data size requirement is less than a value specified; and

identifying at least one alternative content or service source corresponding to the instructions received from the mobile device if the target content or service source has a data size requirement that is more than the specified value.