Permission based text messaging

• US 7,197,324 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Sweeney
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brandt; Christopher M.
• Application Number:
  US11/047,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.3, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones. The system and method allow a potential user to opt in to receive the text messages the user wants to receive. The potential user can opt in through a computer network based web page. Once the potential user sends a sign up request application to participate via the computer network, the user will receive a first text message containing an authorization code on their cell phone. The user enters the authorization code into the web page and sends the authorization code. Receipt of the authorization code back through the computer network will trigger the phone number of the potential user to be added to a list of authorized text message receivers. A narrowcaster then instructs the central computer to narrowcast text messages to the phone numbers on the list that have indicated they want to receive messages on a certain topic.

Claims

1. A method for permission based sending of text messages to a plurality of cellular phones including the steps of;

receiving, over a computer network, a request to sign up to receive text messages,

generating an authorization code in response to receiving said request,

sending said authorization code as a first text message to a cellular phone number received in said request,

receiving said authorization code, entered by a user of said cellular phone, back over said computer network to verify said authorization code has been received by said cellular phone,

adding said cellular phone number to a list of authorized cellular phone numbers,

and narrowcasting, with permission, a second text message to a plurality of authorized cellular phone numbers.

2. The method of sending text messages of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving, includes a step of posting a website containing an application to sign up for text messages.

3. The method of sending text messages of claim 2, wherein the application includes a plurality of possible message topics that can be selected.

4. The method of sending text messages of claim 1, wherein the step of sending said authorization code as a first text message occurs immediately after receiving said application.

5. The method of sending text messages of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a second text message includes generating and saving said message.

6. The method of sending text messages of claim 5, wherein the step of transmitting said second text message includes the step of scheduling a time for said message to be sent to said plurality of authorized cellular phone numbers.

7. A system for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones including;

a central computer to receive a request to sign up for text messages,

said central computer including a connection to a network,

a remote second computer, connected to the network, that receives an application to sign up for text messages,

a remote cellular phone adapted to receive a text message containing an authorization code from said central computer,

said application adapted to verify said authorization code has been received by allowing a user of said phone to enter said verification code from said cell phone into said application, and returning said application via computer network thereby authenticating said user to receive text messages,

said central computer confirming acceptance of said application in response to receiving said code in said application,

a database in said central computer containing a plurality of authorized phone numbers received from said application,

and a means of transmitting a text message to a list of a plurality of authorized phone numbers stored in said database.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said text messages are generated on a third computer connected to said network and sent to said central computer for narrowcast to said list of authorized phone numbers.

9. A method for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones including the steps of;

receiving from a first computer, over a computer network, an application to sign up for text messages,

creating an authorization code in a second computer,

sending the authorization code to a cellular phone number received in said application, to be displayed on a screen of said cellular phone,

verifying said authorization code has been received, by allowing a user of said phone to enter said authorization code from said cell phone into said application, and returning said application containing said authorization code via computer network,

transmitting multiple text messages to said cellular phone number without further authorization.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of transmitting a text message includes the step of generating a text message at a third computer and forwarding the text message to said second computer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of verifying includes said second computer receiving a copy of said authorization code from said first computer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of receiving includes the step of making said application available over a computer network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the application includes a list of possible message topics.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of transmitting a text message includes the steps of saving said text message and the step of scheduling said text message for narrowcast.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of verifying said authorization code has been received, is followed by a step of saving a cell phone number from said application in an authorized phone number list.

16. A method of signing a user up to receive a text messages including the steps of;

receiving an application over a computer network from a user computer, said application including a cell phone number and information on a carrier of said cell phone,

generating an authorization code in a central computer,

sending said authorization code to a cell phone to be display on a screen of said cell phone,

sending an authorization web page to be displayed on said user computer,

receiving said authorization web page back over said computer network from said user,

comparing a code received in the authorization page with said authorization code,

authorizing said cellular phone number to receive permission based text messages if said code received in said authorization page matches said first code,

entering said cellular phone number into a database of a plurality of authorized phone numbers.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein once authorized, said cellular phone will receive a plurality of text messages without the need for additional authorization, and wherein said cellular phone number will continue to receive text messages until said user returns to said authorization page and requests to unsubscribe.