Automatic generation of application pod

• US 8,090,699 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMS AC Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SMS AC Incorporated
• Inventors: Pousti, Michael, Tan, Szeying, Ballester, Andrew Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US11/715,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/705, 707/999.01, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically uploading information about a program or blog, and allowing third parties to develop the program or blog and allow users in a mobile community to have access to the developed product.

Claims

1. A method for automatically presenting an application to a network platform, the method comprising:

a user area establishment step of establishing, on a network platform comprising one or more servers, a user area associated with a user;

an application access step of making an application available in or through the network platform via the user area, the application access step comprising

receiving information related to the application from a third party through a developer interface, wherein the third party is different than the user,

receiving a remote location of content associated with the application from the third party through the developer interface, wherein the remote location is not the network platform,

receiving pricing information related to the application from the third party through the developer interface,

automatically creating the application based on the information received from the third party, and

updating a directory and a database so that the created application is available through the network platform to a plurality of users; and

a user access step of, by the network platform,

retrieving the content from the remote location, and

displaying the application, including the content, via the user area on the network platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users have full or limited access to the application, depending on pre-set conditions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a pre-set condition is whether a particular user has paid to join a list of member users of the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote location of the content is identified by a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a billing event generated when a user accesses the application or a billable feature within the application and sending a billing message to a cellular carrier associated with the user in response to the detected billing event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, on the network platform, a second user area associated with the third party; and

by the network platform,

retrieving the content from the remote location, and

displaying the application, including the content, via the second user area on the network platform.

7. A community platform system, comprising:

a server comprising a processor and a memory;

a user area hosted on the server configured to include a plurality of user areas associated with a plurality of users, the user areas configured to allow a user to access and use a plurality of application pods on or through a community platform;

a directory hosted on the server configured to include information related to the plurality of application pods, the information enabling the plurality of users to access the plurality of application pods;

a database configured to store the plurality of application pods;

a plurality of functions hosted on the server and configured to create and support an application pod;

a developer interface hosted on the server and configured to allow a third party to interface with the community platform using a computer and to create an application pod and make the application pod available to the plurality of users;

a pod wizard hosted on the server interfaced with the directory, database, plurality of functions, and developer interface, the pod wizard configured to

receive information related to an application pod to be created from a third party through the developer interface,

receive a remote location of content associated with the application pod to be created from the third party through the developer interface, wherein the remote location is not the server,

receive pricing information related to the application pod to be created from the third party through the developer interface,

automatically create the application pod to be created based on the information received from the third party, and

update the directory and the database so that the created application pod is available to the plurality of users; and

at least one module configured to

retrieve the content from the remote location, and

display the application pod, including the content, via one or more of the plurality of user areas.

8. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the application pod to be created is one of the following:

a blog, a flash application, a mobile application, and a widget.

9. The community platform system of claim 7, further comprising a ratings application, wherein the ratings application is configured to allow the plurality of users to rate the created application pod.

10. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the community platform is configured to allow the plurality of users to have full or limited access to the created application pod, depending on pre-set conditions.

11. The community platform system of claim 10, wherein a pre-set condition is whether a particular user has paid to join a list of member users of the created application pod.

12. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of users each access the created application pod through a mobile device.

13. The community platform system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone.

14. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of users access the platform through the web.

15. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the pod wizard comprises at least one of a series of web pages, a single web page, a program, and an applet.

16. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the information related to the application pod to be created is specific to the type of content associated with the application pod to be created.

17. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the information related to the application pod to be created includes a name and contact information.

18. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the information related to the application pod to be created includes a description of the content.

19. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the information related to the application pod to be created includes a language associated with the content, the application pod, or both.

20. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the information related to the application pod to be created includes information related to the third party.

21. The community platform system of claim 20, wherein the information related to the third party includes at least one of biographical information, history of development, and calendar of events.

22. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the remote location of the content is identified by a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

23. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the pod wizard is configured to automatically create the application pod using a plurality of functions including graphic functions.

24. The community platform system of claim 7, further comprising a billing function configured to detect a billing event generated when a user accesses the created application pod or a billable feature within the application pod, and to send a billing message to a cellular carrier associated with the user in response to the detected billing event.

25. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein the pricing information includes a price to be billed to a user for access to the application pod.

26. The community platform system of claim 25, wherein the price is billed to the user as part of a bill for cellular service generated by a cellular carrier associated with the user.

27. The community platform system of claim 25, wherein the price is billed to the user is a non-zero price.

28. The community platform system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of user areas is associated with the third party, the user area configured to allow the third party to access and use a plurality of application pods on or through the community platform.