System and method for sending mobile media content to another mobile device user

• US 8,233,894 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited
• Inventors: Vishwanathan, Kumar K., Iyer, Prakash R., Sundar, Rangamani, Goldstein, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/843,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 455/401, 455/414.1, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42051 where the notification is included in the ringing tone

Abstract

Techniques are provided that extend the capabilities of mobile phone devices to automatically assign media content items to “contacts” list entries. Thus, if a mobile device user indicates the desire to purchase a media content item to be assigned to or associated with another mobile device user (e.g., an entry in a contacts list), the experience of acquiring that media content item and making the assignment can be seamless reducing the number of tedious manual steps to accomplish that task.

Claims

1. A method for delivering media content to a mobile communication device, comprising:

selecting, at a first mobile device, a media content item for use on a second mobile device upon the second mobile device receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device;

selecting, at the first mobile device, usage parameters associated with the selected media content item;

engaging, at the first mobile device, in a first transaction to purchase rights to the selected media content item for installation and use on the second mobile device, wherein a purchase price for the rights is dependent on the selected usage parameters;

initiating, at the first mobile device, the communication contact to the second mobile device to cause the selected media content item to be transmitted to the second mobile device in the course of establishing the communication contact to the second mobile device;

receiving, at the second mobile device the communication contact from the first mobile device together with information identifying the selected media content item;

installing, at the second mobile device, the selected media content item if it is not already installed on the second mobile device; and

associating, at the second mobile device, the selected media content item with an identifier of said first mobile device so as to activate the selected media content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating comprises associating the selected media content item at the second mobile device without user action at the second mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting usage parameters comprises selecting one or more of:

the number of activations of the selected media content item on the second mobile device, an extent to which the selected media content item may be activated on the second mobile device apart from receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device, a time duration for which activation of the media content item is permitted, a combination of the number of activations and time duration for which activation may occur, and an extent to which the selected media content item may be transferred from the second mobile device to another mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

engaging, at the second mobile device, in a second transaction to purchase rights to expand the usage parameters of the selected media content item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first mobile device, a list of available media content items,

wherein the selected media content item is selected from said list.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

creating, at said second mobile device, a wish list of media content items that a user of said second mobile device wishes to acquire but has not already acquired and installed on the second mobile device; and

receiving, at the first mobile device, said wish list,

wherein the selected media content item is selected at the first media device from said wish list.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

creating the list of available media content items based on user preference information derived from other media content items that have been installed on the second mobile device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the list of available media content items at the first mobile device comprises:

receiving the list of available media content items from a service provider either as a promotion or part of the services provided by the service provider to the first and second mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, at the first mobile device, a list of media content items already installed on the second mobile device,

wherein said selecting the selected media content item at the first mobile device comprises selecting a media content item from the list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, at the second mobile device, the selected media content item upon receiving the new communication contact from the first mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a voice call between the first mobile device and the second mobile device through a voice network apparatus upon a user of the second mobile device accepting the new communication contact from the first mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase of the rights to the selected media content item corresponds to a gift made to a user of the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, at a computing device, data pertaining to one or more events associated with a user of the second mobile device; and

sending a notification to the first mobile device to provide a user of the first mobile device with an opportunity to select a media content item and purchase rights to the selected media content item for the user of the second mobile device as a gift in connection with said one or more events.

14. A system that coordinates delivery of media content to mobile communication devices, comprising:

a. first and second mobile devices each configured to activate media content in response to receiving a communication contact from another mobile device; and

b. a computing device that is in communication with said first and second devices, wherein the computing device transmits to the first mobile device a list of media content items that can be activated on the second mobile device when the second mobile device receives a communication contact from the first mobile device, and the computing device receives from the first mobile device an indication of a selected media content item from the list and transmits to the second mobile device in the course of the communication contact to the second mobile device for association in the second mobile device with an identifier of the first mobile device for activation of said selected media content item on said second mobile device upon receiving the communication contact from the first mobile device thereafter.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device transmits to said first mobile device a list of media content items that the user of the second mobile device wishes to acquire but has not already acquired, and wherein the computing device receives the indication of the selected media content from the wish list.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device generates the list of media content items based on user preference information derived from other media content items that have been installed on the second mobile device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device generates the list of media content items based on media content items already installed on the second mobile device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device stores data pertaining to one or more events associated with a user of the second mobile device and sends a notification to the first mobile device to provide a user of the first mobile device with an opportunity to select a media content item and purchase rights to the selected media content item for use by the user of the second mobile device as a gift to the user of the second mobile device in connection with said one or more events.

19. An article of manufacture for delivering media content to a mobile communication device, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

selecting, at a first mobile device, a media content item for use on a second mobile device upon the second mobile device receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device;

selecting, at the first mobile device, usage parameters associated with the selected media content item;

engaging, at the first mobile device, in a first transaction to purchase rights to the selected media content item for installation and use on the second mobile device, wherein a purchase price for the rights is dependent on the selected usage parameters;

initiating, at the first mobile device, the communication contact to the second mobile device to cause the selected media content item to be transmitted to the second mobile device in the course of establishing the communication contact to the second mobile device;

receiving, at the second mobile device the communication contact from the first mobile device together with information identifying the selected media content item;

installing, at the second mobile device, the selected media content item if it is not already installed on the second mobile device; and

associating, at the second mobile device, the selected media content item with an identifier of said first mobile device so as to activate the selected media content item.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein said associating comprises associating the selected media content item at the second mobile device without user action at the second mobile device.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein selecting usage parameters comprises selecting one or more of:

the number of activations of the selected media content item on the second mobile device, an extent to which the selected media content item may be activated on the second mobile device apart from receiving a communication contact from the first mobile device, a time duration for which activation of the media content item is permitted, a combination of the number of activations and time duration for which activation may occur, and an extent to which the selected media content item may be transferred from the second mobile device to another mobile device.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the instructions for performing the method further comprise:

engaging, at the second mobile device, in a second transaction to purchase rights to expand the usage parameters of the selected media content item.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the instructions for performing the method further comprise:

receiving, at the first mobile device, a list of available media content items, and

wherein the selected media content item is selected from said list.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the instructions for performing the method further comprise:

creating, at said second mobile device, a wish list of media content items that a user of said second mobile device wishes to acquire but has not already acquired and installed on the second mobile device; and

receiving, at the first mobile device, said wish list,

wherein the selected media content item is selected at the first media device from said wish list.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the instructions for performing the method further comprise:

creating the list of available media content items based on user preference information derived from other media content items that have been installed on the second mobile device.