Method and system for generating and sending a hot link associated with a user interface to a device

• US 8,166,139 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wildseed Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric, Zatloukal, Peter, Graham, Tyrol R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/477,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,637 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/09 Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 : Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 : biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention sends a hot link to a device. The device may be on a wireless network, a wired network, or directly coupled to the device sending the hot link. The hot link contains an associated action that is performed by the device receiving the hot link. The associated action may be performed when a user interface is activated or automatically when the hot link is received by the device. The action (1105) can be a broadcast action (1110), Internet action (1120), call action (1150), download action (1130), or upload action (1140). The broadcast action instructs the device to tune to a particular broadcast in response to the selection of the user interface. The Internet action instructs the device to access an Internet site in response to the selection of the user interface. The call action instructs the device to call a telephone number in response to the selection of user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by the first mobile device, a plurality of link action instructions to enable the second mobile device to perform an action when the second mobile device executes the link action instructions;

generating, by the first mobile device, assignment information to enable the second mobile device to associate the link action instructions with a physical or virtual user interface element of the second mobile device selected by the first mobile device from one or more physical or virtual user interface elements present on the second mobile device before sending of the plurality of link action instructions, wherein interaction with the physical or virtual user interface element activates execution of the link action instructions;

generating, by the first mobile device, a link message containing the plurality of link action instructions and assignment information; and

sending, by the first mobile device, the link message containing the plurality of link action instructions and the assignment information to the second mobile device, wherein a user of the second mobile device is a member of a PAL LIST of the first mobile device, the method further comprises providing a selection, by the first mobile device, to select sending the link message to all or selected members of the PAL LIST, and said sending is performed by the first mobile device, in response to a choosing of the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device automatically performs the action upon interaction with the physical or virtual user interface element to which the link action instructions are associated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the first mobile device, a connection type for the first mobile device to send the link message to the second mobile device;

determining, by the first mobile device, a category of device to which the second mobile device belongs;

or

determining, by the first mobile device, a location of the second mobile device;

wherein said generating of the link message is based at least in part on the determined connection type, the determined category, or the determined location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said generating a link message further comprises including, by the first mobile device, the location of the second mobile device in the link message.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said generating a link message further comprises formatting the link message in accordance with a protocol compatible with the connection type for sending the link message to the second mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating of a link message further comprises generating, by the first mobile device, an indication message to inform a user of the second device about the action.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the first mobile device, the action, such that the action is to be performed by the second mobile device contemporaneously with the first mobile device.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile device, a link message generated by a second mobile device, the link message including link action instructions and assignment information, wherein the link action instructions, in response to execution by the first mobile device, cause the first mobile device to perform an action, and the assignment information enables the first mobile device to associate the link action instructions to a physical or virtual user interface element of the first mobile device selected by the second mobile device from one or more physical or virtual user interface elements present on the first mobile device before receipt of the link action instructions and assignment information from the second mobile device;

processing, by the first mobile device, the assignment information to associate the link action instructions to the user interface element selected by the second mobile device; and

executing, by the first mobile device, the link action instructions to cause the first mobile device to perform the action, in response to a selection of the user interface element, wherein a user of the first mobile device is a member of a PAL LIST of the second mobile device, the second mobile device is configured to provide a selection to select sending the link message to all or selected members of the PAL LIST; and

the second mobile device is configured to send the link message in response to a choosing of the selection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the physical or virtual user interface element is a selected one of a key, a button, or a graphical user interface element.

16. The method of claim 7,

further comprising extracting, by the first mobile device, the link action instructions and the assignment information from the received link message.

9. A first mobile device comprising:

a processor to execute instructions; and

a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, said storage medium having stored therein instructions, wherein said instructions, in response to execution by the processor, enable the first mobile device to perform operations including;

generating link action instructions that enable the second mobile device, in response to execution of the link action instructions by the second mobile device, to perform an action;

generating assignment information to enable the second mobile device, in response to processing of the assignment information by the second mobile device, to associate the link action instructions with a physical or virtual user interface element of the second mobile device present on the second mobile device before sending of the plurality of link action instructions;

generating a link message containing the link action instructions and assignment information; and

sending the link message containing the link action instructions and the assignment information to the second mobile device; and

wherein a user of the second mobile device is a member of a PAL LIST of the first mobile device, the method further comprises providing a selection, by the first mobile device, to select sending the link message to all or selected members of the PAL LIST, and said sending is performed by the first mobile device, in response to a choosing of the selection.

10. The first mobile device of claim 9, wherein the operations further include determining a connection type of a connection with the second mobile device, wherein said generating of the link message comprises formatting the link message by the first mobile device for a protocol compatible with the determined connection type.

11. The first mobile device of claim 10, wherein the protocol is short message service (SMS).

12. The first mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first mobile device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-sized computing device, a laptop computer, a portable radio, a portable MPx player, or a portable CD/DVD player.

17. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the operations further include determining the action, such that the action is to be performed by the second mobile device contemporaneously with the first mobile device.

13. A first mobile device comprising:

a processor to execute instructions; and

a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the storage medium having stored therein instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, enable the first mobile device to perform operations including;

receiving, from a second mobile device, a link message generated by a second mobile device, the link message including link action instructions and assignment information, wherein the link action instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the first mobile device to perform an action, and the assignment information enable the first mobile device, in response to processing of the assignment information, to associate the link action instructions to a physical or virtual user interface element of the first mobile device selected by the second mobile device from one or more physical or virtual user interface elements present on the first mobile device before receipt of the link action instructions and assignment information from the second mobile device;

processing the assignment information to associate the link action instructions with the user interface element of the first mobile device; and

executing the link action instructions to cause the first mobile device perform the action contemporaneously with the second mobile device, responsive to a selection of the user interface element;

wherein a user of the first mobile device is a member of a PAL LIST of the second mobile device, the second mobile device is configured to provide a selection to select sending the link message to all or selected members of the PAL LIST, and the second mobile device is configured to send the link message in response to a choosing of the selection.

14. The first mobile device of claim 13, wherein the action has an action type, which is a selected one of a broadcast type, a telecommunications type, a network type, a message type, or a data type.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the operations further include extracting the link action instructions and the assignment information from the received link message.