Method and system for delivering content to and locking content in a user device

• US 7,953,665 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Boutsikakis, Demetrios, Wilken, Andrew, Deeds, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US10/029,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,448 Days
• Field of Search: 705 51- 59, 726 26- 33, 380200-203
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A method for delivering content to be locked in a user device is provided. The method includes receiving a content selection. A device identifier that is operable to identify a specified user device is received. A lock message is generated based on the content selection. The lock message is sent to the user device identified by the device identifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a content manager configured to cause the apparatus to at least;

cause transmission of an indication of a selected content to a network based device, the selected content being selected from a plurality of content stored at the network based device;

cause presentment of one or more received locking options for the selected content;

determine a selection of a locking option from the one or more locking options, the selected locking option comprising a first selected locking requirement;

cause transmission of a device identifier of the apparatus;

in response to receipt of the selected content to the apparatus, selectably locking the selected content pursuant to the first selected locking requirement, wherein the selected content is presented upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the first selected locking requirement is met;

determine when the first selected locking requirement is met; and

unlock the selected content in an instance in which the first selected locking requirement is determined to have been met, wherein the selected content is no longer required to be presented upon an occurrence of the predefined condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content manager is further configured to cause the apparatus to receive an indication of a reward in response to the first selected locking requirement being met.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected content comprises advertising content, and wherein the advertising content is caused to be displayed upon each occurrence of the predefined condition associated with the selected content until the first selected locking requirement is met.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected content comprises a ring tune advertisement and the predefined condition comprises receipt of an incoming call, and wherein the ring tune advertisement is presented upon each receipt of an incoming call until the first selected locking requirement is met.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network based device, an indication of selected content;

causing, by the network based device, presentment of at least a first locking requirement associated with the selected content to a user device wherein said locking requirement defines a specific period of time or a specified amount of usage for which the content is locked in at the user device and required to be presented;

determining, by the network based device, a selection of the at least a first locking requirement;

receiving, at the network based device, a device identifier of the user device;

causing, based at least in part on the received device identifier, the selected content to be provided by the network based device to the user device together with the at least first selected locking requirement to permit the selected content to be presented by the user device upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the at least the first selected locking requirement is met;

receiving, at the user device, the selected content;

in response to receipt of the selected content to the apparatus, selectably locking the selected content pursuant to the first selected locking requirement, wherein the selected content is presented by a content manager of the user device upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the first selected locking requirement is met;

determining, by the content manager of the user device, when the first selected locking requirement is met; and

unlocking, by the content manager of the user device, the selected content in an instance in which the first selected locking requirement is determined to have been met, wherein the selected content is no longer required to be presented upon an occurrence of the predefined condition.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an indication of said at least first selected locking requirement having been met.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

causing a reward to be provided in response to said indication.

8. A method comprising:

causing transmission of an indication of selected content;

receiving at least a first locking requirement associated with the selected content at a user device, wherein said locking requirement defines a specific period of time or a specified amount of usage for which the content is locked in the user device and required to be presented;

determining, by a content manager of the user device, selection of the at least the first selected locking requirement;

causing transmission of a device identifier of the user device to a network based device;

receiving said selected content;

causing storage of said selected content in a memory of the user device;

causing, by the content manager of the user device, presentment of the selected content by the user device upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the at least the first selected locking requirement is met;

determining when the at least the first selected locking requirement is met; and

unlocking the selected content data in response to determining that the first selected locking requirement has been met.

9. A method as in claim 8 further comprising:

receiving an indication of a reward.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected content comprises a ring tune advertisement and wherein causing presentment of the selected content by the user device upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content comprises causing presentment by the user device of the selected ring tune advertisement upon each receipt of an incoming call.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected content comprises advertising content, and wherein causing presentment of the selected content comprises causing the advertising content to be displayed on a display of the user device upon each occurrence of the predefined condition associated with the selected content until the at least the first selected locking requirement is met.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected content comprises a ring tune advertisement and the predefined condition comprises receipt of an incoming call, and wherein causing presentment of the selected content comprises causing the ring tune advertisement to be presented upon each receipt of an incoming call until the at least the first selected locking requirement is met.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a content manager configured to cause the apparatus to;

cause transmission of an indication of a selected content to a network based device, the selected content being selected from a plurality of content stored at the network based device;

cause presentment of one or more received locking options for the selected content;

determine a selection of a locking option from the one or more locking options, the selected locking option comprising a first selected locking requirement;

cause transmission of a device identifier of the apparatus;

receive the selected content; and

lock in said selected content pursuant to the first locking requirement, wherein the selected content is presented upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the first locking requirement is met; and

a memory configured to store a plurality of profiles wherein each profile comprises an identifier indicative of the use of said locked selected content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the content manager is further configured to cause the apparatus to receive an indication of a reward in response to the first locking requirement being met.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selected content comprises advertising content, and wherein the advertising content is caused to be displayed upon each occurrence of the predefined condition associated with the selected content until the first locking requirement is met.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selected content comprises a ring tune advertisement and the predefined condition comprises receipt of an incoming call, and wherein the ring tune advertisement is presented upon each receipt of an incoming call until the first locking requirement is met.

17. A method comprising:

causing transmission of an indication of a selected content to a network based device, the selected content being selected from a plurality of content stored at the network based device;

receiving at least one locking requirement including a first locking requirement associated with the selected content;

determining, by a content manager of a user device, selection of at least the first locking;

causing transmission of a device identifier of the user device;

receiving said selected content;

causing storage of said selected content in a memory the user device;

operating, by the content manager of the user device, upon the selected content in accordance with the at least the first selected locking requirement by causing presentment of the selected content by the user device upon each occurrence of a predefined condition associated with the selected content until the at least the first selected locking requirement is met;

determining when the first selected locking requirement is met;

causing notification of the network based device or a second network based device when the first selected locking requirement is met; and

causing a reward to be provided to a user.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising unlocking, when the first selected locking requirement is met, the selected content data to release the selected content out of the first selected locking requirement.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the selected content of the plurality of content comprises advertising content and wherein said method further comprises the operation of displaying the advertising content according to the at least the first selected locking requirement.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least the first selected locking requirement defines a manner by which to display the advertising content in human perceptible form.