Permission based text messaging

• US 8,046,012 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Destine Systems Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt; Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US11/726,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 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, comprising:

receiving contact information that identifies a portable communication device of a user, wherein said receiving occurs at a central computer system via a web interface;

automatically generating an authorization code in response to receiving the contact information;

automatically causing a text message including the authorization code to be sent to the portable communication device;

receiving at the central computer system, via the web interface, input from the user that includes the authorization code and that indicates an acceptance of the user to receive, via the portable communication device, text message communications relating to one or more of a plurality of message topics; and

directing one or more text message communications related to the one or more of the plurality of message topics to the portable communication device based, at least in part, on the received contact information and on the received input indicating the user'"'"'s acceptance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is configured to store information indicating message subscription preferences of a plurality of users, wherein the subscription preferences are usable to indicate that at least first and second different message topics are subscribed to, respectively, by first and second different ones of the plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the user opting out of receiving the messages directed to at least one of the one or more message topics.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the central computer system receiving information indicating a narrowcast message to be sent to a plurality of users, wherein the narrowcast message relates to one or more of the plurality of message topics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received information indicating the narrowcast message is received via the web interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the narrowcast message includes pre-saved content.

7. A computer system including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable to cause the computer system to:

receive from a user an identifier of a portable communication device, and store the identifier, wherein the identifier is received via a web interface;

in response to receiving the identifier, cause a text message including an authorization code to be sent to the portable communication device via a communication network;

receive, via the web interface, input from the user that includes the authorization code and that indicates an acceptance of the user to receive, via the portable communication device, text message communications relating to one or more of a plurality of message topics; and

direct one or more text message communications related to the one or more of the plurality of message topics to the portable communication device based, at least in part, on the received identifier and on the received input indicating the acceptance of the user.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are executable to cause the computer system to store information indicating message subscription preferences of a plurality of users, wherein the subscription preferences are usable to indicate that at least first and second different message topics are subscribed to, respectively, by first and second different ones of the plurality of users.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are executable to run a web server configured to provide the web interface.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer system is coupled to a computer network that comprises the internet.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the web server is configured to receive input specifying targeted messages to be sent to a plurality of users of portable communication devices.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the targeted messages include pre-saved content.

13. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are executable to cause the computer system to receive from the user a selection, via the web interface, of topics for which the user wishes to subscribe.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are executable to cause the computer system to update a database to include lists of subscribed recipients for various message topics.

15. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the instructions are executable to cause the computer system to receive information indicating a later time for scheduled delivery of one or more text messages relating to the one or more message topics.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the web interface comprises a plurality of web pages.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a web interface, an identifier of a portable communication device of a user;

in response to said receiving, automatically causing an authorization code to be sent to the portable communication device;

receiving, an acknowledgement message including the authorization code and information indicating an acceptance of the user to receive text messages relating to one or more of a plurality of topics via the portable communication device; and

directing one or more text messages related to the one or more of the plurality of topics to the portable communication device based, at least in part, on the identifier and on the information indicating the acceptance of the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise storing the received identifier and the one or more of the plurality of topics in a subscriber database.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the database is configured to store information specifying a plurality of topics and the subscription preferences of a plurality of users for whom authorization codes have been received.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the web interface comprises one or more web pages of a website.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the web interface comprises a plurality of web pages.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

first means for receiving, via a web interface, an identifier of a portable communication device;

second means for automatically causing a text message including an authorization code to be sent to the portable communication device;

third means for receiving, via the web interface, an acknowledgement message that includes the authorization code and that includes a confirmation of one or more of a plurality of message topics; and

fourth means for directing one or more text message communications to the user of the portable communication device based, at least in part, on the acknowledgement message, wherein the directed one or more text message communications relate to the one or more of the plurality of message topics.