Online churn reduction and loyalty system

• US 6,597,903 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Dahm, Cynthia N., Laursen, Andrew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/713,649
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/405, 455/407, 455/414, 455/418, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.12, 379/121.02, 379/122, 379/114.01
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for providing subscriber loyalty and retention techniques. These techniques are suitable for mobile devices with small screens and limited keypad communication. This system and method allows mobile subscribers who have been identified as being likely candidates for churning, to efficiently, visually and interactively, review an offer for a mobile service plan better meeting the subscriber'"'"'s needs. The subscriber can review and execute the offer using the display and interface of a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing an offer for a subscriber service plan on a display screen of a mobile device when a user of said mobile device is identified, said method comprising:

comparing customer profile information of said user to a group of predetermined thresholds in a server device;

wherein said customer profile information comprises information relating to a user account associated with said mobile device;

wherein said server device is coupled to a wired network compliant with a first communication protocol;

generating an offer for a subscriber service plan in said server device directed to the mobile device when said customer profile information exceeds at least one of said predetermined thresholds; and

forwarding an electronic notification corresponding to said generated offer for said subscriber service plan to the mobile device through a wireless network compliant with a second communication protocol, said notification comprising at least one uniform resource identifier addressing resource information of said offer.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said wired network is one of the internet and a private network, and wherein said first communication protocol in said wired network is one of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) family and said second communication protocol in said wireless network is one of wireless communication protocols.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said resource information of said offer is located in said server device coupled to said wired network.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a proxy server couples said wired network to said wired network.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said proxy server comprises:

an account manager managing a plurality of user accounts including the user account associated with said mobile device; and

a mapper for mapping from said first communication protocol to said second communication protocol and from mapping said second communication protocol to said first communication protocol, so that said mobile device can communicate with said server device via said proxy server.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said forwarding of the notification corresponding to said generated offer comprises:

forwarding the notification to said proxy server over said wired network; and

delivering the notification by said proxy server to said mobile device following authentication by said account manager in said proxy server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a request to fetch said resource information, said request being generated from said mobile device when said user responds to said notification;

said request generated including said at least one uniform resource identifier; and

releasing said resource information for delivery to said mobile device over said wireless network.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said resource information is in a markup language.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a personal organizer, a two-way pager and an Internet appliance controller.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said customer profile information further includes at least one of air time use information by said mobile device, demographic information of said user, billing information of said user account and calling habit information of said user.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein said comparing customer profile information of said user to said group of predetermined thresholds comprises:

receiving said customer profile information; and

analyzing said customer profile information with respect to said group of predetermined thresholds.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said generating said offer for said subscriber service plan comprises:

identifying said user account in accordance with said customer profile information when said customer profile information exceeds said group of predetermined thresholds; and

preparing said source information of said offer;

wherein said source information is identified by said user account.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

storing in said server device said generated subscriber service plan, wherein said service plan is in a markup language.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said notification corresponding to said generated offer for said subscriber service plan comprises:

a URL for said server device storing said generated subscriber service plan; and

a short message relating to said generated offer for said subscriber service plan.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said short message is in a markup language.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, still further comprising:

retrieving from said mobile device responses corresponding to said offer for a subscriber service plan; and

provisioning said mobile device in accordance with said mobile device responses, thereby changing said user account to reflect said provisioning of said mobile device.

17. A system for providing an offer for a subscriber service plan on a display screen of a mobile device that includes an input interface, said system comprising:

a storage device for storing customer profile information associated with a user account and a group of predetermined threshold values relating to said customer profile information; and

a processor coupled to said storage device, said processor operates to compare said customer profile information to said predetermined threshold values;

identify user accounts associated with said customer profile information that exceeds one or more of said group of predetermined threshold values;

generate an offer for a subscriber service plan directed to mobile devices associated with said identified user accounts; and

forward electronic notices relating to said generated subscriber service plan to mobile devices associated with said identified user accounts, said electronic notices comprising at least one uniform resource identifier addressing resource information of said generated subscriber service plan.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein said system is a server system that couples to said mobile devices through a proxy server, wherein said proxy server couples to said server system by a landnet compliant with a first communication protocol and couples to said mobile devices by an airnet compliant with a second communication protocol.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein said first communication protocol for said landnet is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and said second communication protocol for said airnet is a wireless communications protocol.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless communication protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).