Advertising system for mobile devices and method of operating the same

• US 8,606,226 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimon Charach
• Original Assignee: Shimon Charach
• Inventors: Charach, Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US13/616,183
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406.408, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/39 Arrangements for preventing metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In a cellular telephone system, an account manager server is used to monitor all services provided to hand-held devices of the system and to charge the respective customers of the system. The server also provides advertisements to the customers via data channels for the devices. The customers are charged for services based on the number of advertisements (if any) presented on the devices. Optionally, customers may buy goods or services associated with the presented advertisements, in this case, the amount charged for voice and/or data services provided by the system are adjusted as well.

Claims

1. A system for providing wireless communication to a device associated with a customer comprising:

a base station in wireless communication with the device on a data channel; and

a manager server connected to said base station and receiving selectively ads from an advertisement source and a service request for service from the device, said service including providing at least one of establishing a voice communication between the device associated with the customer and other devices and data access to a distributed computer network;

said manager server being adapted to present advertisements to said device and to generate an ad credit to the customer based on the ads presented to the customer on the device;

said manager being further adapted to (1) sense said service request for service, (2) in response to said service request, determine if the customer has sufficient ad credit, (3) based on said determination, if the customer has insufficient ad credits, sending to the device a message to the customer indicating said determination; and

(4) deny service to the customer if the customer has insufficient ad credits.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said base station and said manager server cooperate to provide selectively Internet service on said device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said base station and said manager includes a feed selector selectively providing one of an Internet connection to said device for general Internet activities and a direct connection from the device to an advertisement portal, said advertisement portal providing selectively ads to the device over the Internet.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said manager server is further adapted to receive an ad request from said hand-held device in response to ad said message, said manager server enabling said feed selector to connect to said advertisement portal and feed advertisements to said device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said base station is adapted to establish a voice channel with the device and to provide cellular communication over said voice channel for the device.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a shopping server receiving requests for goods or services from the device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said manager server is further adapted to assign more ad credit when a purchase is made on the shopping server by the device in association with said advertisement being presented on the device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said manager server is further adapted to receive an ad request from the device.

9. An account manager server associated with a mobile base communicating with a hand-held device, said manager comprising:

a controller monitoring services provided to said hand-held device and adapted to receive a service request for a service from the device through said base; and

a feed selector operated by said controller to selectively provide to the device one of a standard Internet service and an advertisement portal adapted to present advertisements to the feed selector for said hand-held device through the internet;

wherein said controller is further adapted to assign ad credit to a customer associated with said hand held device based on advertisements presented on the hand-held device from said advertisement portal;

wherein said controller is further adapted to (1) sense said service request, in response to said service request (2) determine the ad credit accumulated for the customer, and (3) if said ad credit is insufficient deny service in response to said service request.

10. The account manager server of claim 9 wherein said controller is adapted to generate a bill for said services, and a credit balance associated with said device, wherein said bill is adjusted in accordance with said credit balance by said controller, said credit balance being dependent on how many advertisements have been presented to on the hand-held device.

11. The account manager server of claim 9 wherein said service includes voice channel communications for the device.

12. The account manager server of claim 9 wherein said controller is further adapted to receive a profile for the customer, wherein advertisements from said advertisement portal for the device are selected based on said profile.

13. The account manager server of claim 9 wherein said controller is further adapted to communicate with a shopping server, the shopping server providing goods or services to the customer in response to a shopping request from the customer, wherein said controller is adapted to adjust said bill when said shopping server provides said goods or services in association with said advertisement.

14. The account manager of claim 9 wherein said controller is further adapted to monitor said ad credit and is adapted to generate balance message to said hand held device at regular time intervals.

15. The account manager of claim 14 wherein said controller generates said message when said credit balance meets certain predetermined criteria.