Permission based text messaging

• US 8,385,955 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Destine Systems Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/242,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/414.3, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• 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 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones. The system and method allow a potential user to opt in to receive the text messages the user wants to receive. The potential user can opt in through a computer network based web page. Once the potential user sends a sign up request application to participate via the computer network, the user will receive a first text message containing an authorization code on their cell phone. The user enters the authorization code into the web page and sends the authorization code. Receipt of the authorization code back through the computer network will trigger the phone number of the potential user to be added to a list of authorized text message receivers. A narrowcaster then instructs the central computer to narrowcast text messages to the phone numbers on the list that have indicated they want to receive messages on a certain topic.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a computer system receiving, via a web interface, a subscription preference relating to one or more message topics and a telephone number corresponding to a portable communication device capable of receiving text messages;

in response to receiving the telephone number, the computer system generating an authorization code and causing a text message including the authorization code to be sent to the telephone number;

receiving at the computer system, via the web interface, input that includes the authorization code; and

in response to authenticating the authorization code, the computer system storing the subscription preference relating to the one or more message topics on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the stored subscription preference indicates the computer system has permission to cause one or more text messages that include content directed to the one or more message topics to be sent to the telephone number corresponding to the portable communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving specific content for the one or more message topics from an authorized third-party computing device and causing one or more text messages including the specific content to be sent to the portable communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the web interface, a different subscription preference relating to a different message topic;

and

storing the different subscription preference on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the subscription preference and the different subscription preference indicate permission to send content based on two or more of the message topics to the telephone number corresponding to the portable communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a targeted message to a plurality of telephone numbers in first and second subscriber groups, wherein the first and second subscriber groups correspond to different topics, and wherein at least one of the plurality of telephone numbers is in the second subscriber group but not the first subscriber group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the subscription preference to indicate that a user of the portable communication device wishes to receive content relating to one or more different message topics.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the web interface, an email address that is associated with a user having the subscription preference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization code is a numeric code.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a telephone number corresponding to a portable communication device and a subscription preference for delivery of text messages relating to one or more subjects, wherein the receiving is performed via a web interface;

in response to receiving the telephone number, generating an authorization code and causing a text message including the authorization code to be sent to the telephone number;

receiving, via the web interface, input that includes the authorization code; and

in response to authenticating the authorization code, storing a subscription preference relating to the one or more subjects, wherein the stored subscription preference indicates the computing device has permission to cause one or more text messages corresponding to the one or more subjects to be sent to the telephone number corresponding to the portable communication device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise storing a plurality of subscription preferences on a plurality of subjects, wherein the plurality of subscription preferences correspond to a plurality of non-related users.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the subscription preference on an electronic storage device;

causing a second text message including a second authorization code to be sent to the telephone number associated with the portable communication device; and

subsequently modifying the stored subscription preference based at least in part on authenticating the second authorization code.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise storing the subscription preference on an electronic storage device and modifying the stored subscription preference to delete a subscription of the telephone number for messages relating to at least one of the one or more subjects.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise causing a targeted message to be sent as an email to an address of a user associated with the portable communication device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise scheduling, for later delivery, one or more messages based on the one or more subjects to be sent to a plurality of users that have a subscription preference in common.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory has stored thereon instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a web page submission, a subscription preference relating to one or more message topics and a telephone number corresponding to a portable communication device;

in response to receiving the telephone number, generating an authorization code and causing a text message including the authorization code to be sent to the telephone number;

receiving, via another web page submission, input that includes the authorization code; and

in response to authenticating the authorization code, storing the subscription preference, wherein the stored subscription preference indicates the computer system has permission to cause one or more text messages corresponding to the one or more message topics to be sent to the telephone number corresponding to the portable communication device.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a first message from an authorized third party, wherein the first message is based on at least a first one of the one or more message topics; and

causing the first message to be selectively transmitted as a text message to a group of one or more telephone numbers corresponding to one or more subscribing portable communication devices.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise causing a targeted message relating to the one or more message topics to be selectively sent to single individuals as well as groups of two or more individuals.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

editing the content of a previously transmitted targeted message sent as a text message to one or more telephone numbers; and

transmitting the edited content as a new targeted message to the one or more telephone numbers.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer system is configured to serve web pages, including a page containing a form for the web page submission.