Commercially subsidized mobile communication devices and services

• US 8,340,689 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric, Huang, Xuedong, Jain, Kamal, Mahajan, Milind Vasudeo
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/701,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,053 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones, may be capable of recommending to a user various providers of one or more solicited services, e.g., by identifying a user location and identifying providers near the user location that provide the services, and by initiating a call between the user and a selected provider. However, the equipment and service costs of such devices may be prohibitive, particularly for mid-range mobile communication devices that may appeal to cost-conscious users. The prohibitive costs may be diminished by redirecting part or all of the cost of providing the recommendation service from the providers, e.g., by charging the provider a service cost upon initiating a call from the user to the provider, or upon representing the provider in a provider database. In one such embodiment, all service costs may be borne by providers, providing to the user a free recommendation service via the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a user of a mobile communication device with at least one provider of a service solicited by the user, the mobile communication device having a processor and access to a provider database and coupled with a service cost, the method comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to;

upon detecting a user query of at least one solicited service;

identify in the provider database at least one provider offering the solicited service, and

present to the user the at least one provider;

upon detecting a user selection of a provider, initiate a communication session between the user and the provider; and

upon detecting the communication session;

identify as a solicited service at least one service provided by the contacted provider, and

charge to the contacted provider of the solicited service at least a portion of the service cost.

2. The method of claim 1:

the mobile communication device comprising a mobile phone having a display;

presenting the providers to the user comprising;

displaying the providers on the display; and

the communication session comprising a call initiated to a telephone number associated with the provider.

3. The method of claim 1, identifying the at least one provider comprising:

identifying a user location, and

searching the provider database for providers near the user location offering the solicited service.

4. The method of claim 3:

the mobile communication device comprising a geolocation component, and

identifying the at least one provider comprising;

querying the geolocation component to identify a user location, and

identifying in the provider database at least one nearby provider offering the solicited service and near the user location.

5. The method of claim 3:

the mobile communication device comprising a reference point locating component, and

identifying the at least one provider comprising;

querying the reference point locating component to identify at least one nearby reference point, and

identifying in the provider database at least one nearby provider offering the solicited service and near the nearby reference point.

6. The method of claim 1:

the provider database comprising at least one advertisement of a service offered by a provider; and

presenting the providers to the user comprising;

presenting to the user the advertisement of the provider for the solicited service.

7. The method of claim 1, the instructions further configured to, upon detecting the user selection of the at least one provider:

identify a user location;

compute a route from the user location to the provider; and

present the route to the user.

8. The method of claim 1:

the user query comprising a communication session initiated with a contacted provider;

presenting providers comprising;

presenting providers to the user while initiating the communication session with the contacted provider; and

the instructions configured to, upon detecting a user selection of a selected provider other than the contacted provider;

terminate the communication session with the contacted provider, and

initiate a communication session between the user and the selected provider.

9. The method of claim 1:

the mobile communication device coupled with a metered data plan of the user, and

initiating the communication session comprising;

initiating a communication session between the user and the provider, the communication session initiated outside of the metered data plan.

10. The method of claim 9:

the metered data plan provided by a communications service provider, and

initiating the communication session outside of the metered data plan comprising;

charging to the user the service cost associated with communication sessions initiated between the user and parties other than the provider; and

charging to the provider at least a portion of the service cost associated with communication sessions initiated between the user and the provider.

11. The method of claim 1, charging the at least one provider comprising:

charging a service cost to the at least one provider upon storing a representation of the provider in the provider database.

12. The method of claim 1, charging the at least one provider comprising:

charging a service cost to the at least one provider in response to, upon detecting the user query, presenting to the user the provider.

13. The method of claim 1, charging the at least one provider comprising:

charging a service cost to the at least one provider upon initiating the communication session between the user and the provider.

14. The method of claim 13, charging the at least one provider comprising:

charging a service cost to the at least one provider that is proportional to a duration of the communication session between the user and the provider.

15. The method of claim 1:

the instructions further configured to perform on the mobile communication device at least one additional service on behalf of the provider; and

charging the at least one provider comprising;

charging a service cost to the at least one provider in exchange for performing the at least one additional service on behalf of the provider.

16. A computer readable memory device comprising a system interfacing with a mobile communication device having access to a provider database and coupled with a service cost, the system configured to connect a user of the mobile communication device with at least one provider of a service solicited by the user, the system comprising:

a provider presenting component configured to, upon detecting a user query of at least one solicited service;

identify in the provider database at least one provider offering the solicited service, and

present to the user the at least one provider;

a communication session initiating component configured to, upon detecting a user selection of a provider, initiate a communication session between the user and the provider; and

a provider charging component configured to, upon detecting the communication session;

identify as a solicited service at least one service provided by the contacted provider; and

charge to the contacted provider of the solicited service at least a portion of the service cost.

17. The computer readable memory device of claim 16

the mobile communication device comprising a geolocation component, and

the provider presenting component configured to:

query the geolocation component to identify a user location, and

identify in the provider database at least one nearby provider offering the solicited service and near the user location.

18. The computer readable memory device of claim 17

the mobile communication device comprising a routing component, and

the communication session initiating component configured to, upon detecting a user selection of at least one nearby provider:

compute a route from the user location detected by the global positioning service component to the nearby provider, and

present the route to the user.

19. A computer-readable memory device comprising instructions that, when executed on a processor of a mobile communication device comprising a mobile phone having coupled a metered data plan and having a display, a geolocation component, and access to a provider database comprising at least one advertisement of at least one service offered by at least one provider, connect a user of the mobile communication device with at least one provider of a service solicited by the user by:

upon detecting a user query of at least one solicited service;

querying the geolocation component to identify a user location,

searching the provider database for nearby providers near the user location offering the solicited service and near the user location, and

presenting to the user on the display the at least one advertisement of the solicited service offered by the at least one nearby provider;

upon detecting a user selection of a provider;

initiating a communication session comprising a call initiated to a telephone number of a contacted provider outside of the metered data plan,

computing a route from the user location to the provider, and

presenting the route to the user; and

upon detecting the communication session;

identifying as a solicited service at least one service provided by the contacted provider, and

charging to the contacted provider of the solicited service at least a portion of a service cost that is proportional to a duration of the communication session between the user and the provider.