Alert provisioning system and method

• US 8,666,037 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul M. Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Paul M. Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/282,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20120276879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207, 455/415, 340/309.16, 340/539.13, 701/201
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/351 Pre or post-call/conference information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

An alert method and system permits an alert to be provided to a subscriber. Such visual alerts may comprise icons or graphical advertising units that may be navigated by the subscriber to trigger and initiate corresponding and dynamically updatable communications and communication links.

Claims

1. An alert system for use in a mobile telecommunications network for providing targeted mobile advertisements to network subscribers, the system comprising:

a database including (a) position information of selected subscriber wireless units operating in the network, and (b) subscriber profile information, including for each selected subscriber, subscriber preferences for receiving mobile advertisements of third parties;

a service node in communication with the database and operable to automatically generate alerts in real time for receipt by the selected network subscribers based on their corresponding subscriber profile and distribution criteria set by the subscriber, the network provider and/or one or more third parties, the distribution criteria including (a) wireless unit position, (b) proximity to a geographic reference point of (i) a predefined group of network subscribers, and/or (ii) a predetermined amount of network subscribers, or (c) purchasing activity of select third party purchasers; and

a processor in communication with the service node for automatically providing the visual alerts to the corresponding subscriber wireless units;

wherein the alerts are automatically displayable on each wireless unit as unique corresponding logos or graphical advertising units of each such third party, and wherein each alert may be ignored or selectively navigated by the subscriber to initiate and subsequently display a corresponding advertisement for a product or service, and wherein each such advertisement is specifically targeted to the subscriber at the time of navigation based on the corresponding subscriber profile and distribution criteria.

2. An alert system as in claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises information about specific products or services purchased, endorsed or reviewed by one or more third parties.

3. An alert system as in claim 2, wherein the advertisement includes identifying information about the third party purchasers.

4. An alert as in claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises information about products or services different from the products or services purchased by one or more third party purchasers.

5. An alert system as in claim 2, wherein the alert comprises an embedded hyperlink to a web page for the corresponding targeted advertisement, and wherein the subscriber may purchase a product or service through the web page.

6. An alert system as in claim 1, wherein each alert may be voice-navigated using an artificial intelligence application and natural language processing.

7. A visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a MMS message.

8. A visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein the advertisement comprises a media file.

9. A visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein the proximity to a geographic reference point comprises historical or predicted proximity.

10. A visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein the third party purchasers are connected to the subscriber through social networking groups or services.