Community interaction using mobile communication devices

• US 8,160,532 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WECHAT INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD.
• Original Assignee: SKYWEAVER, INC
• Inventors: Hariharasubramani, Girish, Vishwanathan, Kumar K., Iyer, Prakash R., Sundar, Rangamani, Raman, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US11/970,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 455/310, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/413, 455/466, 709/224, 705/1
• US Class Current: 455/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Techniques are provided for delivering content to mobile communication devices related to interactions of members with a user community. The method involves detecting a communication session involving a mobile communication device; determining one or more context parameters associated with the communication session; and delivering content related to the context parameters to one or more mobile communication devices. Data is stored at a central computing entity that indicates association or membership of a plurality of mobile communication device users in a user community. The central computing entity detects when an action is taken by one mobile device user that is a member of the user community, and sends a notification to members of the social circle based on the detected action. These techniques allow individuals who are involved in a user community to maintain their interaction with the user community using their mobile communication devices.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating actions of mobile communication device users that are members of a user community, comprising:

storing data indicating association of a plurality of mobile communication device users in a user community;

detecting an action that is related to the user community;

sending a notification to mobile communication devices for members of the user community based on said action;

transmitting notifications to mobile communication device users that are not part of the user community based on detection of said action;

receiving responses from mobile communication device users that are not part of the user community; and

storing an identifier of a mobile communication device user not part of the user community that responds to the notifications.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising responding to a request sent from a mobile communication device user that received one of the notifications, wherein the request indicates a desire for additional information or content related to the notification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing data for the user community that is created by mobile communication device users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing data for the user community that is derived by monitoring activities of mobile communication device users over time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises determining that a mobile communication device user purchases a media content or rated a media content.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising storing information pertaining to trivia for media assets, and wherein said detecting comprises determining that a mobile communication device user has added trivia information related to a particular media asset, and wherein said sending comprises sending a notification to mobile communication device users that are part of a user community dedicated to trivia related to media assets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises detecting that a new media asset has been added to a database, wherein the media asset is of interest to members of the user community, and said sending comprises sending to mobile communication device users that are members of the user community a notification that indicates that the media asset is available and requesting trivia information related to the media asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data comprises storing information identifying mobile communication device users that have conducted searches for a particular genre of media content and further comprising generating data that represents a user community of mobile communication users that have conducted such searches.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an action comprises detecting that a first mobile communication device user that is a member of the user community has purchased rights to media content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification enables a second mobile communication device user that is a member in the user community to purchase rights to the same media content as the first mobile communication device user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification enables a second mobile communication device user that is a member in the user community to purchase rights to other media content that is related to the media content purchased by the first mobile communication device user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification enables a second mobile communication device user to preview the media content.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification enables mobile communication users which are members in the user community to request association of the media content with the first mobile communication device user'"'"'s persona, or for use as a ring tone or ringback tone associated with a communication session with the first mobile communication device user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises detecting that a mobile communication device user has rated a media asset.

15. The method of claim 1, and further comprising storing data representing relationships with a plurality of vendors of goods or services, and wherein sending comprises sending a notification to members of the user community when an action is detected with respect to any of the plurality of vendors.

16. A method for coordinating actions of mobile communication device users that are members of a user community, comprising:

storing data indicating association of a plurality of mobile communication device users in a user community, wherein storing comprises storing data indicating association of at least one mobile communication device user to multiple user communities;

detecting an action that is related to a particular user community; and

sending a notification to mobile communication devices for members of the particular user community based on said action, wherein sending comprises sending a notification to mobile communication devices for members of a particular user community using a graphical presentation that is unique to said particular user community.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising detecting that a first mobile communication device user that is a member of the user community has purchased rights to media content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the notification enables a second mobile communication device user that is a member in the user community to purchase rights to the same media content as the first mobile communication device user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the notification enables a second mobile communication device user that is a member in the user community to purchase rights to other media content that is related to the media content purchased by the first mobile communication device user.