Advertisement broadcasting for paging

• US 7,151,942 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Evens, Carl J., Harkey, Joan, Hoefelmeyer, Ralph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/304,787
• Time in Patent Office: 2,786 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455/414, 455/456, 455/45, 455/466, 4554141- 4, 340/825.52, 340/7.48, 340/745, 340/7.46, 340/7.27, 340/989, 340 739- 741, 379/88.18
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for appending advertisements to paging messages may be utilized to reduce or substantially eliminate the fees for paging services paid by paging service customers while allowing companies to easily get their advertisements directly to a specific market or market segment. Alpha-numeric pagers may be programmed/reprogrammed to accept advertisements either prior to or after receiving a page. The alpha-numeric pagers may be programmed with an identification code which indicates to the paging service provider that advertisements are acceptable. Accordingly, if an alpha-numeric pager is programmed to accept advertisements, the paging service provider transmits the advertisements with the page.

Claims

1. A method of messaging, comprising:

generating an advertisement capcode that is separate from a programmed capcode of a paging unit, wherein the advertisement capcode is selectively assigned to the paging unit on a temporal basis by a service provider; and

designating an advertisement script for transmission to the paging unit if the paging unit has been assigned the advertisement capcode.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the advertisement capcode in a central database;

programming the paging unit with the advertisement capcode;

correlating the advertisement capcode stored in the central database with the programmed capcode into the paging unit; and

transmitting the advertisement script to the paging unit based upon the correlation.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message along with the advertisement script to the paging unit.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

crediting a subscriber account associated with the paging unit based on usage of the advertisement capcode.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement capcode is assigned to a plurality of paging units including the paging unit.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

unassigning the advertisement capcode from the paging unit.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement capcode is assigned based on a marketing criteria.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the advertisement script from an entity different from a provider of service for the paging unit.

9. A method for communicating within a paging network, the method comprising:

storing, in memory, an advertisement capcode for receiving an advertisement script, wherein the advertisement capcode is temporarily assigned to a paging device by a service provider of the paging network and is separate from a programmed capcode of the paging device, the advertisement script being retrieved based on the advertisement capcode.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the advertisement capcode is maintained in a central database by a service provider, the advertisement capcode being correlated with the programmed capcode.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the advertisement script with a message, wherein the advertisement script precedes the message.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein a credit is earned by a subscriber of the paging network if the advertisement capcode is utilized.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

removing the advertisement capcode from the memory.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the advertisement capcode is assigned based on a marketing criteria including characteristics of a subscriber corresponding to the programmed capcode.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the advertisement script is created by an entity different from a provider of the paging network.

16. An apparatus of communicating within a paging network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store an advertisement capcode, temporarily assigned by a service provider of the paging network, for receiving an advertisement script, wherein the advertisement capcode is separate from a programmed capcode designated for receiving messages, the advertisement script being retrieved based on the advertisement capcode.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the advertisement capcode is maintained in a central database by a service provider, the advertisement capcode being correlated with the programmed capcode.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

an interface configured to receive the advertisement script with a message, wherein the advertisement script precedes the message.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a credit is earned by a subscriber of the paging network if the advertisement capcode is utilized.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the advertisement capcode is removed from the memory.

21. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the advertisement capcode is assigned based on a marketing criteria including characteristics of a subscriber corresponding to the programmed capcode.

22. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the advertisement script is created by an entity different from a provider of the paging network.

23. A method for providing a paging service, the method comprising:

receiving an advertisement script from a third party;

determining which one or more paging units is to receive the advertisement script based on a criteria;

transmitting the advertisement script to the one paging unit; and

crediting an account associated with the one paging unit.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the one paging unit is programmed with a plurality of capcodes, wherein one of the capcodes is designated for use to receive the advertisement script.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein the advertisement script is replayed by the one paging unit as a voice signal.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein the advertisement script includes wording of an advertisement and a date and time of when to broadcast the advertisement.