Systems and methods for merchandising content to a second mobile telephone based on the content of a first mobile telephone

• US 7,974,614 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hua; Quan M
• Application Number:
  US11/687,246
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/3.03, 455/502, 455/414.2, 455/420, 455/418, 707/204, 707/620, 707/640, 707/713, 717/204
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

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 downloading content stored in a first mobile station of a subscriber into a second mobile station of the same subscriber in a cellular network comprising:

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

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

receiving at a gateway of said network information identifying the subscriber;

receiving at the gateway a request to download content previously downloaded to the first mobile station to the second mobile station;

in response to said request searching the storefront database to determine content previously downloaded by the subscriber to said first mobile station;

receiving information about the functionality of the second mobile station;

receiving information about the functionality of the first mobile station;

determining compatible content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is compatible with the second mobile station;

determining the incompatible content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is not compatible with the second mobile station;

creating a first list of compatible content;

searching the storefront database for alternate content that is compatible with the second mobile station equivalent to the content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is not compatible with the second mobile station;

creating a second list of alternate content equivalent to the incompatible content;

sending the first list and the second list to the second mobile station;

receiving instructions from the second mobile station to download selected content from the first list to the second mobile station;

receiving instructions from the second mobile station to download content from the second list;

providing the selected content from the first list to the second mobile station; and

providing the selected content from the second list to the second mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said method element of sending the first list and the second list comprises sending the first list and the second list in the form of an SMS message.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a portal where the content in the first list is available for download and the content in the second list is available for purchase.

4. A system for downloading some or all of the content stored in a first mobile station of a subscriber into a second mobile station of the same subscriber in a cellular network comprising:

a server;

a gateway associated with the server; and

at least one subsystem associated with the server that;

maintains a server containing a storefront application where subscribers may download content from content providers;

maintains a storefront database associated with the storefront application that stores information about content downloaded by the subscriber;

receives at the gateway information identifying the subscriber;

receives at the gateway a request to download content previously downloaded to the first mobile station to the second mobile station;

in response to said request searches the storefront database to determine content previously downloaded by the subscriber to said first mobile station;

receives information about the functionality of the second mobile station;

receives information about the functionality of the first mobile station;

determines compatible content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is compatible with the second mobile station;

determining the incompatible content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is not compatible with the second mobile station;

creates a first list of compatible content in the first mobile station that is compatible with the second mobile station;

searches a database of content available for purchase that is compatible with the second mobile station;

creates a second list of alternate content equivalent to the incompatible content;

sends the first list and the second list to the second mobile station

receives instructions from the second mobile station to download selected content from the first list to the second mobile station;

receives instructions from the second mobile station to download content from the second list;

provides the selected content from the first list to the second mobile station; and

provides the selected content from the second list to the second mobile station.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the subsystem that sends the first list and the second list comprises at least one subsystem that sends the first list and second list in the form of an SMS message.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising at least one subsystem that provides a portal where the content in the first list is available for download and the content in the second list is available for purchase.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, executable in a server for instructing the downloading of content stored in a first mobile station of a subscriber into a second mobile station of the same subscriber in a cellular network comprising instructions to:

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

maintain a storefront database associated with the storefront application that stores information about content downloaded by the subscriber;

receive at a gateway of said network information identifying the subscriber;

receive at the gateway a request to download content previously downloaded to the first mobile station to the second mobile station;

in response to said request search the storefront database to determine content previously downloaded by the subscriber to said first mobile station;

receive information about the functionality of the second mobile station;

receive information about the functionality of the first mobile station;

determine compatible content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is compatible with the second mobile station;

create a first list of compatible content;

search a the storefront database for alternate content that is compatible with the second mobile station equivalent to the content previously downloaded to the first mobile station that is not compatible with the second mobile station;

create a second list of alternate content equivalent to the incompatible content;

send the first list and the second list to the second mobile station;

receive instructions from the second mobile station to download selected content from the first list to the second mobile station;

receive instructions from the second mobile station to download content from the second list;

provide the selected content from the first list to the second mobile station; and

provide the selected content from the second list to the second mobile station.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein said instructions to send the first list and the second list comprise instructions to send the first list and the second list in the form of an SMS message.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising instructions to provide a portal where the content in the first list is available for download and the content in the second list is available for purchase.