System and method for providing context based services

• US 8,166,031 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redknee Inc.
• Inventors: Zabawskyj, Bohdan Konstantyn, Samji, Al-Amyn, Kumar, Vinay, Wong, Vincent Chi Chiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/744,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/722, 707/736, 342/357.06
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In one aspect of the disclosure, a method of delivering content to a portable electronic device is provided that comprises receiving a request for content; determining a subscription level for a subscriber of the portable electronic device; determining, based on the subscription level, whether to deliver supplementary content with the content; and, if delivery of the supplementary content is to be effected then determining a method of delivery of the content; determining a method of delivery of the supplementary content; determining the supplementary content; and delivering the content and the supplementary content.

Claims

1. A method in a server of delivering content to a portable electronic device comprising:

determining that content is to be delivered to said portable electronic device;

determining a subscription level for a subscriber of said portable electronic device;

retrieving a subscriber profile associated with said portable electronic device;

determining, based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile, whether to deliver supplementary content with said content, said determining being repeatable responsive to a change in device context, during delivery of said content to said portable electronic device, such that said determining is dynamically changeable according to one or more of time, location and presence; and

, if delivery of said supplementary content is to be effected then;

determining a method of delivery of said content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile;

determining a method of delivery of said supplementary content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile;

determining said supplementary content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile; and

delivering said content and said supplementary content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said content is a map and said supplementary content includes weather conditions for a location on said map.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said subscription level includes an indication of whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, where said subscription level does not indicate whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content, sending a query to said portable electronic device querying whether said subscriber wishes to receive said supplementary content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said subscription level includes an indication of whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content when said subscriber is roaming.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said method of delivery of said content is based on one or more of:

display characteristics of said portable electronic device;

a location of said portable electronic device;

available bandwidth of a physical link connecting a base station to said portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said method of delivery of said supplementary content includes one or more of:

a streaming video and a text banner.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during said delivering, effecting a change from said portable electronic device to another electronic device such that said delivering continues on said another electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during said delivering, effecting a change in said supplementary content.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during said delivering, effecting a change in said content.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, temporarily pausing said delivering in response to a request from said portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, banking rewards or credits on a subscriber account associated with said subscriber corresponding to a level of supplementary content received by said subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1 where the determination of whether content is to be delivered to said portable device is invoked via a request from said portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said content or supplementary content consists of different media including video-streams, music-streams, pictures, applications, files, and text-messages.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said subscription level can include an indication of whether said subscriber is to receive said supplementary content.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said indication of whether the subscriber is to receive said supplementary content is set by a subscriber, the network operator, or via algorithmic means.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said indication of whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content per a given set of contextual attributes.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said set of contextual attributes includes one or more of the type of the portable electronic device being utilized by the subscriber, the location of the subscriber, whether the subscriber is roaming, proximity of said subscriber to vendors of services or products, or attributes of available communications links to the subscriber'"'"'s portable electronic device.

19. A carrier administrator server comprising:

an interface interconnecting a portable electronic device, a content server and at least one additional content server;

a processing unit connected to said interface configured for receiving a request to deliver content to said portable electronic device;

said processing unit further configured to determine a subscription level associated with said portable electronic device;

said processing unit further configured to retrieve a subscriber profile associated with said portable electronic device;

said processing unit further configured to determine, based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile, whether to deliver supplementary content with said content, said determination being repeatable responsive to a change in device context, during delivery of said content to said portable electronic device, such that said determining is dynamically changeable according to one or more of time, location and presence; and

, if delivery of said supplementary content is to be effected then;

determining a method of delivery of said content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile;

determining a method of delivery of said supplementary content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile;

determining said supplementary content based on said subscription level and said subscriber profile; and

delivering said content and said supplementary content.

20. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said content is a map and said supplementary content includes weather conditions for a location on said map.

21. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said subscription level includes an indication of whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content.

22. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 further comprising, where said subscription level does not indicate whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content, said processing unit being configured to send a query to said portable electronic device querying whether said subscriber wishes to receive said supplementary content.

23. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said subscription level includes an indication of whether said subscriber has elected to receive said supplementary content when said subscriber is roaming.

24. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said method of delivery of said content is based on one or more of:

display characteristics of said portable electronic device;

a location of said portable electronic device;

available bandwidth of a physical link connecting a base station to said portable electronic device.

25. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said method of delivery of said supplementary content includes one or more of:

a streaming video, text banner, music-streams, pictures, banners, applications, files, and text-messages.

26. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said processing unit is further configured to, during said delivering, effect a change from said portable electronic device to another electronic device such that said delivering continues on said another electronic device;

said change based on one or more of;

a location of the portable electronic device, whether the portable electronic device is roaming, or the attributes of available communications links to the subscriber'"'"'s portable electronic device.

27. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said processing unit is further configured to, during said delivering, effect a change in said supplementary content.

28. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said processing unit is further configured to, during said delivering, effect a change in said content.

29. The carrier administrator server of claim 19 wherein said processing unit is further configured to, during said delivering, temporarily pause said delivering in response to one or more of a request from said portable electronic device, including the nature of the portable electronic device being utilized by the subscriber, the location of the subscriber, whether the subscriber is roaming, or the attributes of available communications links to the subscriber'"'"'s portable electronic device.