System and method for responding to aperiodic information requests from users of personal communication devices by providing targeted advertisements

• US 8,422,993 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gloto Corp.
• Original Assignee: Gloto Corp.
• Inventors: Conn, Eric, Citrin, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US13/336,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 348 21- 24, 348/383, 348/387.1, 348/390.1, 348/220, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/456.3, 705 1419- 1424, 705 1431- 1433, 705 144- 1441, 705 1449- 1458, 705 1425- 1427, 705 1436- 1439, 705/14.18, 346/200.3, 37920111-20112
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for responding to aperiodic information requests from users of personal communication devices, such as mobile telephones and more particularly cellular telephones. In one embodiment, information requests issued from a plurality of user'"'"'s cellular telephones are received and processed at a central host site. Processing comprises parsing the user requests to determine the content and category type of the request and retrieving relevant content configured as a sequence of images (frames), referred to as a “video strip”. When a user plays back a video strip on his or her personal communication device, the sequence of images appear on the user'"'"'s display as a sequence of still images, played back at a slow rate, unlike conventional movie playback frame rates.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for responding to information requests from anonymous users of personal communication devices, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at a central host site from said anonymous users of said personal communication devices via an electronic network, a plurality of aperiodic request messages including information requests, wherein said personal communication devices do not include a content client downloaded from the central host site;

(b) responding to the information requests at said central host site by;

i. parsing the information requests in each request message to identify a content category and a content type; and

ii. parsing each request message to identify a geographical position of said anonymous user making said information request and a time of day associated with said information request;

(c) determining appropriate advertising themes from said request messages based on said identified content category, content type and at least one of said geographical position of said anonymous users making said request and said time of day associated with said information request;

(d) accessing a first content source to identify and retrieve content responsive to said information request according to said identified content category and content type;

(e) accessing at least one second content source to retrieve at least one of a targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia, wherein said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia is based on said determined appropriate advertising themes;

(f) incorporating the retrieved content and the at least one of said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia in a response message; and

(g) transmitting the response message from the central host site to the anonymous users making said requests via said electronic network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response message is constructed as a sequence of primary images comprised of a non-temporal sequence of images, each primary image including at least a portion of said retrieved content.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the sequence of primary images are transmitted for display on said anonymous user'"'"'s personal communication device at an image display rate in the range of substantially one image per second to one image per three seconds.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein each primary image of said slideshow presentation is transparently displayed to the anonymous user as a plurality of substantially identical underlying video frames at an underlying pre-determined frame rate.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first content source is the same as the second content source.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia are incorporated into one of a pre-roll, post-roll text crawl and interstitial ad of said response message.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said response message further includes an electronic discount coupon.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein said electronic discount coupon is based on said at least one of said:

(i) a geographical position of said anonymous user making said request, (ii) a demographic of said anonymous user making said request, (iii) a time of day associated with said request.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the electronic discount coupon is provided by a retailer associated with the retrieved targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

presenting said electronic discount coupon to said retailer,

validating said electronic discount coupon by matching said anonymous user'"'"'s mobile phone number with a mobile phone number associated with said anonymous user message request for said item; and

applying said discount coupon to a merchandise item or service of the retailer.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing in records of a data store the mobile phone numbers of anonymous users making said information requests in association with retailers identified in association with said requests.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said response message further includes a points award redeemable for discounts on merchandise or services.

13. A non-autonomous system for responding to information requests from anonymous users of personal communication devices, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions for operating the at least one processor to perform the steps of;

(a) receiving at a central host site from said anonymous users of said personal communication devices via an electronic network, a plurality of aperiodic request messages including information requests, wherein said personal communication devices do not include a content client downloaded from the central host site;

(b) responding to the information requests at said central host site by;

i. parsing the information requests in each request message to identify a content category and a content type; and

ii. parsing each request message to identify a geographical position of said anonymous user making said information request and a time of day associated with said information request;

(c) determining appropriate advertising themes from said request messages based on said identified content category, content type and at least one of said geographical position of said anonymous users making said request and said time of day associated with said information request;

(d) accessing a first content source to identify and retrieve content responsive to said information request according to said identified content category and content type;

(e) accessing at least one second content source to retrieve at least one of a targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia, wherein said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia is based on said determined appropriate advertising themes;

(f) incorporating the retrieved content and the at least one of said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia in a response message; and

(g) transmitting the response message from the central host site to the anonymous users making said requests via said electronic network.

14. The non-autonomous system of claim 13, wherein the response message is constructed as a sequence of primary images comprised of a non-temporal sequence of images, each primary image including at least a portion of said retrieved content.

15. The non-autonomous system of claim 14, wherein the sequence of primary images are transmitted for display on said anonymous user'"'"'s personal communication device at an image display rate in the range of substantially one image per second to one image per three seconds.

16. The non-autonomous system of claim 14, wherein each primary image of said slideshow presentation is transparently displayed to the anonymous user as a plurality of substantially identical underlying video frames at an underlying pre-determined frame rate.

17. The non-autonomous system of claim 13, wherein the first content source is the same as the second content source.

18. The non-autonomous system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of said targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia are incorporated into one of a pre-roll, post-roll text crawl and interstitial ad of said response message.

19. The non-autonomous system of claim 13, wherein said response message further includes an electronic discount coupon.

20. The non-autonomous system of claim 19, wherein said electronic discount coupon is based on said at least one of said:

(i) a geographical position of said anonymous user making said request, (ii) a demographic of said anonymous user making said request, (iii) a time of day associated with said request.

21. The non-autonomous system of claim 19, wherein the electronic discount coupon is provided by a retailer associated with the retrieved targeted advertisement and sponsorship indicia.

22. The non-autonomous system of claim 19, further comprising:

presenting said electronic discount coupon to said retailer,

validating said electronic discount coupon by matching said anonymous user'"'"'s mobile phone number with a mobile phone number associated with said anonymous users message request for said item; and

applying said discount coupon to a merchandise item or service of the retailer.

23. The non-autonomous system of claim 20, further comprising:

storing in records of a data store the mobile phone numbers of anonymous users making said information requests in association with retailers identified in association with said requests.

24. The non-autonomous system of claim 13, wherein said response message further includes a points award redeemable for discounts on merchandise or services.