System and methods for wirelessly providing update information of and downloading previously obtained content to a newly activated mobile station

• US 7,925,245 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chien, Herman, Soelberg, Emily Lyons
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hua; Quan M
• Application Number:
  US11/687,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 717/176
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication

Abstract

A system and method for merchandizing content to wireless subscribers that have upgraded their mobile station or service is disclosed. The wireless carrier maintains a database of identifying data for content downloaded to subscribers'"'"' mobile stations. When a subscriber upgrades his or her mobile station the wireless carrier searches the database for previously downloaded content, identifies the equivalent content that is compatible with the new mobile station and provides the information of available equivalent downloads to the mobile station.

Claims

1. A method for offering an option to purchase content to a subscriber of a newly activated mobile station in a cellular network comprising:

maintaining a server containing a storefront application where subscribers may purchase content from content providers;

maintaining a storefront database associated with the storefront application that stores information about content purchased by the subscriber;

maintaining a subscriber database that stores information about the functionality of mobile stations associated with the subscriber;

maintaining a content database that stores information about content available for purchase by the functionality of the mobile station;

receiving at a gateway of said network a request to activate a new mobile station;

upon receiving said request, searching the subscriber database after activation of the new mobile station to determine a record of a second mobile station previously activated by the subscriber;

in response to finding record of said second mobile station, then searching the storefront database to determine content previously purchased by the subscriber and downloaded to said second mobile station;

upon finding said content previously purchased, then identifying alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased by the subscriber;

determining that said alternate content is compatible with the newly activated mobile station; and

determining, based on mobile station'"'"'s functionality data from the subscriber database, that the newly activated mobile station'"'"'s functionalities support the compatible alternate content; and

sending an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased to the new mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said method element of maintaining a storefront database comprises maintaining a database that stores information about content purchases by subscriber from a content provider that is independent from the cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if the content previously purchased is compatible with the newly activated mobile station of that subscriber.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising searching the content database to identify content equivalent to the content previously purchased that is compatible with the newly activated mobile station.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said method element of sending an offer of the alternate content comprises sending an offer of alternate content that is compatible with newly activated mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said method element of sending an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased comprises sending a message including a link to a content portal where the subscriber may order the purchase of the content previously purchased for downloading to the newly activated mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said method element of sending an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased further comprises sending instructions to the newly activated mobile station to display information about the content previously purchased.

8. A system for offering an option to purchase content to a subscriber of a newly activated mobile station in a cellular network comprising:

a general purpose computer;

a storage device associated with the general purpose computer; and

at least one subsystem that;

maintains a storefront application where subscribers may purchase content from content providers;

stores information about content purchases by subscriber in a storefront database associated with the storefront application;

stores information about the functionality of mobile stations associated with the subscriber in a subscriber database;

stores information about content available for purchase by the functionality of mobile station in a content database;

a network gateway to receive a request for activation from a newly activated mobile station;

upon notified by said network gateway of said request for activation, said at least one subsystem is configured to;

search the subscriber database after activation of the newly activated mobile station to determine a record of an another mobile station previously activated by the subscriber; and

;

search the storefront database, in response to finding said record of said second mobile station, to determine content previously purchased and downloaded to said second mobile station; and

upon finding said content previously purchased identify alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased; and

determine that said alternate content is compatible with the newly activated mobile station; and

determine, based on mobile station'"'"'s functionality data from the subscriber database, that the newly activated mobile station'"'"'s functionalities support the compatible with alternate content; and

sends an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased to the newly activated mobile station.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said subsystem that stores information about content purchased by the subscriber comprises a subsystem that stores information about content purchased by the subscriber from a content provider that is independent from the cellular network.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising at least one subsystem that determines if the content previously purchased is compatible with the newly activated mobile station of that subscriber.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one subsystem that searches the content database to identify content equivalent to the content previously purchased that is compatible with the newly activated mobile station.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said subsystem that sends an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased comprises at least one subsystem that sends an offer of alternate content that is compatible with the newly activated mobile station.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said subsystem that sends an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased comprises at least one subsystem that sends a message including a link to a content portal where the subscriber may order the purchase of the content previously purchased for downloading to the newly activated mobile station.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said subsystem that sends an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased further comprises at least one subsystem that sends instructions to the newly activated mobile station to display information about the content previously purchased.

15. A tangible computer readable medium for instructing a computer to offer content to a subscriber of a mobile station comprising instructions to:

maintain a server containing a storefront application where subscribers may purchase content from content providers;

store information about content purchases by subscriber in a storefront database associated with the storefront application;

store information about the functionality of mobile stations associated with the subscriber in a subscriber database;

store information about content available for purchase by the functionality of mobile station in a content database;

receive and process a request to activate a new mobile station at a network gateway;

upon receiving said request, search the subscriber database after activation of the newly activated mobile station to determine a record of a second mobile station previously activated by the subscriber;

in response to finding record of said second mobile station, search the storefront database to determine content previously purchased by the subscriber and downloaded to said second mobile station;

upon finding said content previously purchased, identify alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased; and

determine that said alternate content is compatible with the newly activated mobile station; and

determine, based on mobile station'"'"'s functionality data from the subscriber database, that the newly activated mobile station'"'"'s functionalities are compatible with said alternate content; and

send an offer of the alternate content equivalent to the content previously purchased to the newly activated mobile station.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said instructions to store information about content purchased by subscriber comprises instructions to store information about content purchased by the subscriber from a content provider that is independent from the cellular network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions to search the content database to identify content equivalent to the content previously purchased that is compatible with the newly activated mobile station of that subscriber.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising instructions to identify content equivalent to the content previously purchased that is compatible with the newly activated mobile station.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said instructions to send an offer of the alternate content comprises instructions to send an offer of alternate content that is compatible with newly activated mobile station.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said instructions to send an offer of the alternate content comprises instructions to send a message including a link to a content portal where the subscriber may order the purchase of the content previously purchased to the newly activated mobile station.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said instructions to an offer of the alternate content further comprises instructions to send instructions to the newly activated mobile station to display information about the content previously purchased.