Method and system for delivery of user-interface skins, applications and services for wireless devices

• US 8,150,962 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wolter, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon
• Application Number:
  US11/333,964
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 709/224, 715523-525, 715/700, 715/716, 715/726, 715/730, 715/744, 715/746
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Wireless devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants are automatically provisioned with a user interface skin, application logic, and/or wireless communications services based on demographics data acquired from the subscriber/user of the device. A computing system that implements the provisioning features acquires the demographics data and categorizes the subscriber/user into one of a predetermined demographics type or category, e.g., Baby Boomer, Teenager, Female-led family, Retiree, etc. Such demographic categories may also include business professions, e.g., Health Professional, Claims Adjuster, Attorney, Stock Broker, Real Estate Broker, etc. Such provisioning with a user interface skin, application logic, and/or services may occur initially, e.g., at the time of sale, and/or may occur later on as the subscriber demographics change and such changes are recorded in a subscriber profile database.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a user interface of a wireless communications device, comprising:

(a) acquiring demographic data from a subscriber using the wireless communications device;

(b) classifying the subscriber into a demographic category based on the acquired demographic data, wherein the demographic category for which the subscriber is classified is selected from a plurality of predetermined demographic categories;

(c) sending to the wireless communications device a user interface skin associated with the demographic category the subscriber was classified in at step (b) and a set of one or more files comprising instructions to configure the device to have the user interface skin;

(d) creating a profile for the subscriber and including the demographic category the subscriber was classified in at step (b) in the profile,

(e) linking the subscriber profile to a bundle of wireless communications services of a wireless service provider provided to the subscriber based on the demographic category the subscriber was classified in at step (b) and providing application logic to the wireless communications device to access the one or more of the services in the bundle of wireless communications services,

wherein the acquisition and classification steps are performed at the time of the subscriber'"'"'s acquisition of the wireless communications device,

(f) acquiring new demographic data for the subscriber after the acquisition of the wireless communications device;

(g) re-classifying the subscriber into a new demographic category; and

(h) re-provisioning the wireless communications device with a new user interface skin based on the new demographic category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending step includes the step of transmitting logic or settings to the wireless communications device changing the user interface look and feel of an application installed on the wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said categories comprise demographic categories associated with particular business professions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each business profession is associated with a bundle of applications and/or wireless communication services for the wireless communications device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of provisioning the wireless communications device with the bundle of applications and/or logic for implementing the wireless communication services.

5. A method of providing services to a subscriber for use with a wireless communications device used by the subscriber, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring demographic data from a subscriber using the wireless communications device;

(b) classifying the subscriber into a demographic category based on the acquired demographic data;

(c) selecting a bundle of applications and wireless communications services for the subscriber for use with the wireless communications device based on the demographic category the subscriber was classified in step (b), and

(d) providing application logic to the wireless communications device for enabling use of the services;

wherein steps a)-c) are performed at the time of acquisition of the device, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

e) acquiring new demographic data for the subscriber after the acquisition of the wireless communications device;

f) re-classifying the subscriber into a new demographic category; and

g) selecting a new bundle of applications and wireless communications service(s) for the subscriber for use with the wireless communications device based on the new demographic category, wherein one of the new bundle of applications and wireless communications service(s) includes a user interface skin.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the acquisition step a) includes a step of querying the subscriber at the time of acquisition of the wireless communications device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the demographic category for which the subscriber is classified is selected from a plurality of predetermined demographic categories, and wherein the demographic categories comprise demographic categories associated with particular business professions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each business profession is associated with a bundle of applications and wireless communication services for the wireless communications device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of provisioning the wireless communications device with logic for implementing the bundle of applications and wireless communication services.

9. A system for provisioning a wireless communications device with (a) a user interface skin, (b) application logic, and (c) wireless communication services, comprising:

a computing platform having a machine-readable memory and a processor for executing instructions stored in the memory, the instructions including instructions for;

(a) acquiring demographic data from a subscriber using the wireless communications device;

(b) classifying the subscriber into a demographic category based on the demographic data;

(c) selecting

     1) a user interface skin,

     2) a set of application logic, and

     3) a bundle of wireless communications services for the subscriber for use with the wireless communications device based on the demographic category,

(d) providing the selected user interface skin, set of application logic and logic for enabling use of the bundle of wireless communication services by the wireless communications device,

wherein the acquisition and classification steps are performed at the time of the subscriber'"'"'s acquisition of the wireless communications device, and where the instructions are further executable by the processor for;

(e) acquiring new demographic data for the subscriber after the acquisition of the wireless communications device;

(f) re-classifying the subscriber into a new demographic category; and

(g) re-provisioning the wireless communications device with a new user interface skin based on the new demographic category.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a network interface coupling the computing platform to a packet switched network and wherein the platform is configured to receive demographic data at the time of sale of the wireless communications device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the demographic category for which the subscriber is classified is selected from a plurality of predetermined demographic categories, and wherein the demographic categories comprise demographic categories associated with particular business professions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each business profession is associated with a bundle of wireless communication services for the device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of provisioning the wireless communications device with logic for implementing the bundle of wireless communication services.