SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING TELECOMMUNICATION SUBSCRIBERS FOR PERMITTING PLAYING OF ADVERTISEMENTS AS RING BACK TONES AND DIRECT ACTIVATION OF ADVERTISED SERVICES

• US 20130185151A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onmobile Global Limited
• Original Assignee: Onmobile Global Limited
• Inventors: Mogalapalli, Srinivas N., Madkaikar, Hemant S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,176,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A system and method for compensating subscribers for permitting playing of advertisements as ring back tones and direct activation of advertised services is provided. The method includes receiving by a telecommunication service provider a call initiated by a caller. The method further includes establishing status of at least one of caller and callee by checking home location register of the telecommunication service provider. Establishing status includes determining RBT subscription status of caller and callee. Depending on the RBT subscription status of caller and callee, the call is transferred to a tone player within RBT system of at least one of caller and callee. A compensation system then selects a media file to be played to caller based on RBT to Advertisement ratios of subscribers. The selected media file may be an RBT file or an advertisement message, which is then played to the caller.

Claims

1. A system for serving advertisements as Ring Back Tones (RBTs) for subscribers of a Telecommunication Service Provider (TSP) and compensating subscribers for permitting use of advertisements as ring back tones, the system comprising:

a Data Center operationally connected to the TSP and comprising;

a User Interface configured to be used by one or more users for creating campaigns, wherein creating campaigns comprises specifying advertisement messages to be played based on one or more targeting parameters;

a Campaign Database configured to store advertisement messages created by the one or more users; and

a Campaign Controller configured to manage delivery of advertisements to a server for playing, and further configured to control frequency and exposure of advertisements per campaign per user based on inputs given by the one or more users;

and

an Advertisement Server located within the TSP network and configured to receive delivery of advertisements and campaign data from the Campaign Controller, to store media files as advertisements in databases within one or more RBT systems of TSP network, wherein the Advertisement Server is further configured to establish frequency and mix of RBT and advertisements to be played to callers of a callee and to establish frequency and mix of RBT and advertisements to be played to a caller based on pre-defined criteria derived from the one or more targeting parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is at least one of an advertiser, a sales agency, a TSP and a third party agency involved in creating or managing advertisement campaigns.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more targeting parameters comprises at least one of subscriber profile, caller profile, location of caller, location of subscriber, telecommunication circle where caller is located, telecommunication circle where subscriber is located, time of day during which call is made by caller and time of day during which call is received by subscriber.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein pre-defined criteria comprises at least one of telecommunication circle of caller, origin of caller'"'"'s TSP, ratio of RBT to advertisements for callers that belong to same TSP as callee, ratio of RBT to advertisements for caller of TSP which do not belong to same TSP as callee and type of advertisements to be played and frequency of particular advertisement to be played to particular caller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the Advertisement Server further comprises:

a Compensation System comprising;

a Rules Engine configured to define rules for setting frequency and mix of RBTs and advertisements to be played to callers based on rate plans and terms of service agreed upon between the TSP and subscribers, wherein the terms of service are based on the pre-defined criteria;

a Cross TSP database configured to identify origin of caller'"'"'s network; and

a Tracking Module configured to;

keep track of last played media file to caller and history of media files played,

and further configured to;

provide identifiers to tone players of the one or more RBT systems for playing advertisement media files,

and further configured to;

direct tone players to play RBT files;

and

a Response Execution System comprising;

a Response Recording Module configured to record response of caller provided in the form of DTMF inputs; and

a Response Execution Module configured to poll up responses from the Response Recording Module along with caller'"'"'s MSISDN and advertisement identifier and to ascertain rules and conditions set for the particular advertisement identifier, and further configured to initiate an action in conformance with caller responses.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a service activation system operationally connected to the Response Execution Module and configured to directly activate a service selected by caller as DTMF input response.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising a Short Message Service Center operationally connected to Response Execution Module and configured to send a short message service message as a response selected by caller in the form of DTMF input response and initiated by the Response Execution Module.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising an Email Notification Module operationally connected to Response Execution Module and configured to deliver an email to a pre-configured email-id including MSISDN of caller and in response to advertisement played to the caller.

9. The system of claim 5 further comprising an AOBD system configured to connect a caller to an advertiser in response to a DTMF input response by the caller.

10. The system of claim 5 further comprising a Reports Module configured to collate responses received by Response Recording Module into an End of Day Report.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the Reports Module is further configured to email End of Day Report to pre-configured email-id'"'"'s of advertisers along with information such as MSISDNs of callers and their corresponding responses.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the Tracking Module is operationally connected to tone players of the one or more RBT systems via low latency connectivity.

13. A method for serving advertisements as Ring Back Tones (RBTs) for subscribers of a Telecommunication Service Provider (TSP) and compensating subscribers for permitting the use of advertisements as ring back tones, the method comprising:

receiving call initiated by caller, wherein the call is received by TSP MSC of callee;

establishing status of at least one of caller and callee by checking HLR of the TSP, wherein establishing status comprises determining RBT subscription status of caller and callee;

transferring call to tone player within RBT system of at least one of the caller and the callee;

invoking compensation system for checking whereabouts of caller;

determining media file to be played to caller based on RBT to Advertisement ratios, wherein the RBT to Advertisement ratios are defined based on rate plans and terms of service between subscribers and the TSP, wherein the terms of service are based on criteria that includes at least one of telecommunication circle of caller, origin of caller'"'"'s TSP, callers belonging to same TSP as callee, callers of TSP not belonging to same TSP as callee, callee profile information, caller profile information, type of advertisements to be played for callees that are subscribers, frequency of particular advertisement to be played to particular caller and RBT to advertisement ratios for callers that are subscribers

and

playing the selected media file to the caller, wherein the selected media file is at least one of an RBT file and an advertisement message.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining last played media file played for a subscriber prior to determining media file to be played to the caller.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising applying a higher priority to caller'"'"'s profile information with respect to callee'"'"'s profile information, if it is determined that an advertisement message is to be played as a media file using profile based targeting.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein if the selected media file is an RBT file, the tone player plays RBT media file stored in tone player database based on corresponding RBT identifier.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein if the selected media file is an advertisement message, an advertisement identifier is provided by the compensation system to the tone player for playing the advertisement message.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

recording response of caller to an advertisement provided in the form of DTMF inputs along with callers MSISDN and advertisement identifier;

polling up the recorded response and checking the response against a set of rules and conditions; and

initiating a pre-configured action based on the response.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the initiated action comprises sending an electronic message detailing information required by the caller in the form of an SMS message.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the initiated action comprises activating a service selected by the caller as a DTMF response.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the initiated action comprises initiating an AOBD call to connect the caller to the advertiser based on DTMF response selected by the caller.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the initiated action comprises sending an email alert to pre-configured email identifier of an advertiser of the advertisement message played as ring back tone.

23. A computer program product comprising computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for serving advertisements as Ring Back Tones (RBTs) for subscribers of a Telecommunication Service Provider (TSP) and compensating subscribers for permitting the use of advertisements as ring back tones, the computer program product comprising:

program instruction means for receiving call initiated by caller, wherein the call is received by TSP MSC of callee;

program instruction means for establishing status of at least one of caller and callee by checking HLR of the TSP, wherein establishing status comprises determining RBT subscription status of caller and callee;

program instruction means for transferring call to tone player within RBT system of at least one of the caller and the callee;

program instruction means for invoking compensation system for checking whereabouts of caller;

program instruction means for determining media file to be played to caller based on RBT to Advertisement ratios; and

program instruction means for playing the selected media file to the caller, wherein the selected media file is at least one of an RBT file and an advertisement message.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising program instruction means for determining last played media file played for a subscriber prior to determining media file to be played to the caller.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising program instruction means for applying a higher priority to caller'"'"'s profile information with respect to callee'"'"'s profile information, if it is determined that an advertisement message is to be played as a media file using profile based targeting.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

program instruction means for recording response of caller to an advertisement provided in the form of DTMF inputs along with callers MSISDN and advertisement identifier;

program instruction means for polling up the recorded response and checking the response against a set of rules and conditions; and

program instruction means for initiating a pre-configured action based on the response.