Method and system for managing delivery of communications when there is a temporary suspension of at least one type of communication

• US 7,764,968 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: CVON
• Inventors: Antikainen, Ismo, Ahtisaari, Marko, Romppanen, Timo, Ahopelto, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/082,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20080311847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/450
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Method and system for managing delivery of communications such as advertisements to mobile telephone subscribers where delivery to subscribers is temporarily prevented or blocked at the request of the subscribers. In particular, a subscriber can temporarily suspend delivery of advertisements when they are roaming.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, the user being assigned a home communications network, the method comprising:

arranging for the user to set a parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, in which said parameter is a parameter relating to temporary suspension of at least one type of communication;

regulating changes to said parameter in accordance with temporal criteria so as to control the time during which delivery of communications is temporarily suspended, the regulated changes to said parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network;

delivering communications to the user in accordance with said regulated changes to the parameter;

requiring the user to receive, be available to receive or respond to communications during a predetermined period of time;

extending this predetermined period of time by the duration of time for which the user has temporarily suspended delivery of communications; and

determining whether a communications network being operatively used by the user is the user'"'"'s home communications network or a roaming communications network; and

preventing delivery of communications to the user when the regulated changes to said parameter suspend delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network and the user is operatively determined to be using a roaming communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising regulating the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications to limit the number of days that the user can suspend delivery of communications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing delivery of communications to the user when the regulated changes to the parameter temporarily suspend delivery of communications even when the user is using their home communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter further relates to temporary suspension of delivery of communications based on the user'"'"'s location, the method further comprising:

determining a location of the user based on a communications network the user is using; and

maintaining location information about the user in a database, the step of delivering communications to the user comprising accessing the database to determine the location of the user and managing the delivery of communications based on the location of the user and regulated changes to the parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to interface with a computer program managing the delivery of communications to the user in order to set the parameter.

6. A system for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

a communications management system arranged to receive content from content providers for delivery to the user;

a database containing a user-determined parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, said parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of communications, wherein the time during which a user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications is regulated to limit the number of days within a predetermined period of time that the user can temporarily suspend delivery of communications;

a communications network coupled to said communications management system and said database for delivering communications containing said content from said communications management system to the user in accordance with the user-determined parameter in said database, wherein the database is in operative association with a processing component arranged to control changes to the parameter in accordance with temporal criteria so as to control the time during which delivery of communications is suspended, said processing component being further arranged to extend a predetermined period of time, during which the user is required to receive, be available to receive or respond to communications, by the duration of time for which the user has temporarily suspended delivery of communications; and

a determining system for determining the communications network being used by the user, said database containing data about the communications network being used by the user as determined by said determining system and providing the data to said communications management system, said communications management system being arranged to manage delivery of communications to the user via said communications network based on the communications network being used by the user and the regulated changes to the parameter in said database.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said determining system is a home location register.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said parameter relates to suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said communications management system is arranged to manage delivery of communications to the user based on whether the user is using the user'"'"'s home communications network or a roaming communications network and whether the user set the parameter to suspend delivery of communications when using a roaming communications network.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising an interface for enabling the user to interface with said database and manage the parameter.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said database is arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for the temporary suspension of delivery of communications.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of whether the user wants to temporarily suspend delivery of all communications to their mobile device, said database being arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for suspension of delivery of all communications.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of a selectable list of different communication sources from which the user could receive communications and a selectable list of different communication types which the user could receive.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein said communications management system includes a secondary communications management system arranged to manage communications to the user, said secondary communications management system being arranged to receive content intended for delivery to the user, data from said database about said user-determined delivery parameter and data about the communications network being used by the user to determine whether the content should be delivered to the user on the basis thereof, and if so, to control a communications network element to deliver the content to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said secondary communications management system is arranged to receive an indication of the sender and recipient of communications and optionally the communications via the communications network element.

16. A system for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

a communications management system arranged to receive content from content providers for delivery to the user;

a database containing a user-determined parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, said parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of communications, said parameter further relating to suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network; and

a communications network coupled to said communications management system and said database for delivering communications containing said content from said communications management system to the user in accordance with the user-determined parameter in said database, wherein the database is in operative association with a processing component arranged to control changes to the parameter in accordance with temporal criteria so as to control the time during which delivery of communications is suspended, said processing component being further arranged to extend a predetermined period of time, during which the user is required to receive, be available to receive or respond to communications, by the duration of time for which the user has temporarily suspended delivery of communications,

said communications management system being arranged to manage delivery of communications to the user based on whether the user is using their home communications network or a roaming communications network and whether the user set the parameter to suspend delivery of communications when using a roaming communications network.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an interface for enabling the user to interface with said database and manage the parameter.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said database is arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for the temporary suspension of delivery of communications.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of whether the user wants to temporarily suspend delivery of all communications to their mobile device, said database being arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for suspension of delivery of all communications.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of a selectable list of different communication sources from which the user could receive communications and a selectable list of different communication types which the user could receive.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said communications management system includes a secondary communications management system arranged to manage communications to the user, said secondary communications management system being arranged to receive content intended for delivery to the user, data from said database about said user-determined delivery parameter and data about the communications network being used by the user to determine whether the content should be delivered to the user on the basis thereof, and if so, to control a communications network element to deliver the content to the user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said secondary communications management system is arranged to receive an indication, of the sender and recipient of communications and optionally the communications via the communications network element.

23. A system for managing delivery of communications to a user of a mobile communications device, comprising:

a communications management system arranged to receive content from content providers for delivery to the user;

a database containing a user-determined parameter relating to delivery of communications to their mobile communications device, said parameter being a parameter relating to temporary suspension of delivery of communications; and

a communications network coupled to said communications management system and said database for delivering communications containing said content from said communications management system to the user in accordance with the user-determined parameter in said database, wherein the database is in operative association with a processing component arranged to control changes to the parameter in accordance with temporal criteria so as to control the time during which delivery of communications is suspended, said processing component being further arranged to extend a predetermined period of time, during which the user is required to receive, be available to receive or respond to communications, by the duration of time for which the user has temporarily suspended delivery of communications,

said communications management system including a secondary communications management system arranged to manage communications to the user, said secondary communications management system being arranged to receive content intended for delivery to the user, data from said database about said user-determined delivery parameter and data about the communications network being used by the user to determine whether the content should be delivered to the user on the basis thereof, and if so, to control a communications network element to deliver the content to the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said secondary communications management system is arranged to receive an indication of the sender and recipient of communications and optionally the communications via the communications network element.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said parameter relates to suspension of delivery of communications when the user is using a roaming communications network which is not the user'"'"'s home communications network.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising an interface for enabling the user to interface with said database and manage the parameter.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said database is arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for the temporary suspension of delivery of communications.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of whether the user wants to temporarily suspend delivery of all communications to their mobile device, said database being arranged to store start and stop dates determined by the user for suspension of delivery of all communications.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the database further comprises an additional user-determined delivery parameter indicative of a selectable list of different communication sources from which the user could receive communications and a selectable list of different communication types which the user could receive.