ADVERTISING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20120058745A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Measson, Cyril, Richardson, Thomas, Li, Junyi, Park, Vincent D., Corson, Mathew Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to communicating advertisements and/or service announcements to devices in a communications system are described. In various embodiments mobile devices are used as mobile advertisement transmission platforms. Advertisements may be downloaded to the wireless communications device along with transmission constraints. Transmission of an advertisement is made when a transmission constraint, e.g., target audience constraint is satisfied. The wireless terminal may change its transmission frequency, coding rate and/or other transmission characteristics to satisfy a transmission constraint and/or optimize revenue. The mobile device reports advertisements transmissions to a network device, e.g., advertisement server and the owner of the device is compensated for the transmissions. Transmission constraints may involve a number of devices to be reached, the type of devices to be reached, and/or other constraints relating to the demographics of device users. Information may be obtained from peer discovery signals and used to determine if a constraint is satisfied.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile communications device to communicate advertisements, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of advertisements and corresponding target audience constraints;

receiving a signal from at least one other device;

determining if a target audience constraint is satisfied; and

transmitting, when a target audience constraint corresponding to a stored advertisement is satisfied, an advertisement corresponding to the satisfied target audience constraint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said target audience constraints include at least one of:

a spatial distribution type constraint, a demographic type constraint and device type constraint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said target audience constraints include at least one constraint indicating a minimum number of devices corresponding to a transmission coverage area of said mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, between a plurality of stored advertisements satisfying a current set of target audience constraints based on peer discovery information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing advertisement transmission information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reporting said stored advertisement transmission information to an advertising server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a service as a reward for said transmitting advertisements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said stored plurality of advertisements and corresponding target audience constraints are received from an advertising server.

9. A mobile communications device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of advertisements and corresponding target audience constraints;

means for receiving a signal from at least one other device;

means for determining if a target audience constraint is satisfied; and

means for transmitting, when a target audience constraint corresponding to a stored advertisement is satisfied, an advertisement corresponding to the satisfied target audience constraint.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 9, further comprising:

means for updating information about currently reachable target audience based on received signals.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 9, wherein said target audience constraints include at least one of:

a spatial distribution type constraint, a demographic type constraint and device type constraint.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 9, further comprising:

means for selecting, between a plurality of stored advertisements satisfying a current set of target audience constraints based on peer discovery information.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for storing advertisement transmission information.

14. The mobile communications device of claim 13, further comprising:

means for reporting said stored advertisement transmission information to an advertising server.

15. A mobile communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

store a plurality of advertisements and corresponding target audience constraints;

receive a signal from at least one other device;

determine if a target audience constraint is satisfied; and

transmit, when a target audience constraint corresponding to a stored advertisement is satisfied, an advertisement corresponding to the satisfied target audience constraint; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

16. The mobile communications device of claim 15, wherein said target audience constraints include at least one of:

a spatial distribution type constraint, a demographic type constraint and device type constraint.

17. The mobile communications device of claim 15, wherein said at least processor is further configured to:

select, between a plurality of stored advertisements satisfying a current set of target audience constraints based on peer discovery information.

18. The mobile communications device of claim 17, wherein said at least processor is further configured to:

store advertisement transmission information.

19. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein said at least processor is further configured to:

report said stored advertisement transmission information to an advertising server.

20. A computer program product for use in a mobile communications device, comprising:

non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to store a plurality of advertisements and corresponding target audience constraints;

code for causing said at least one computer to receive a signal from at least one other device;

code for causing said at least one computer to determine if a target audience constraint is satisfied; and

code for causing said at least one computer to transmit, when a target audience constraint corresponding to a stored advertisement is satisfied, an advertisement corresponding to the satisfied target audience constraint.