System, method and computer program for determining tags to insert in communications

• US 8,719,091 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kirley, Mark, Morley, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter L
• Application Number:
  US12/287,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,034 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.49, 705/14.66, 705/14.72, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A method for adding a tag to a message deliverable to a communication device includes monitoring communications to the device to identify a communication with which a tag can be associated. For identified communications with which a tag can be associated, the method includes analyzing at least one of data about the content of the communication, profile data about at least one of the recipient or sender of the communication, data about a commercial relationship between an operator managing communications to the device and an Internet service provider of tags, and data about popularity of an internet site, and selecting a tag to associate with the communication based on the data analysis.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a communication being transmitted to a receiving device, the communication including a first content;

determining, by the processor, that a tag can be inserted within the communication, wherein the tag is an advertisement comprising a selectable link to content different than the first content with a short description of the selectable link;

checking an available inventory of tags for a tag relevant to the first communication;

upon a determination that there is no tag relevant to the communication within the available inventory of tags, creating, by the processor, a new tag relevant to the communication, wherein the new tag is different than the tags in the available inventory of tags and the new tag is created by;

analyzing at least one of the first content, profile data about a receiving user of the communication and profile data about a sending user of the communication to determine a search topic;

searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with an operator managing communications to the receiving device, for content based upon the search topic, the search resulting in at least one search result;

selecting one of the resulting search results; and

creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result to comprise the new tag;

inserting, by the processor, the new tag into the communication; and

transmitting, by the processor, the communication including the new tag inserted into the communication to the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a search result is based upon a determined popularity of the search result.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of unused spaces in the communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting one of the resulting search results comprises:

selecting a search result with a link size that does not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result is based upon the determined number of unused spaces in the communication so that the size of both the created link and description do not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the communication to the receiving device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises first analyzing profile data about the receiving user and, upon a determination that profile data about the receiving user is not available, analyzing profile data about the sending user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises searching a user profile database containing data about the receiving user and the sending user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with the operator comprises searching at least one preferred partner database containing data about the commercial relationship.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data about the commercial relationship includes data about a rate for placement of a tag by an Internet service provider.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the popularity of the search result is determined by searching an Internet site index.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient device is a mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is received at least partly over a mobile or cellular network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is a SMS or MMS message.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instruction which, when execute by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving a communication being transmitted to a receiving device, the communication including a first content;

determining that a tag can be inserted within the communication, wherein the tag is an advertisement comprising a selectable link to content different than the first content with a short description of the selectable link;

checking an available inventory of tags for a tag relevant to the first communication;

upon a determination that there is no tag relevant to the communication within the available inventory of tags, creating a new tag relevant to the communication, wherein the new tag is different than the tags in the available inventory of tags and the new tag is created by;

analyzing at least one of the first content, profile data about a receiving user of the communication and profile data about a sending user of the communication to determine a search topic;

searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with an operator managing communications to the receiving device, for content based upon the search topic, the search resulting in at least one search result;

selecting one of the resulting search results; and

creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result to comprise a new tag;

inserting the new tag into the communication;

transmitting the communication including the new tag inserted into the communication to the receiving device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein selecting one of the resulting search results is based upon a determined popularity of the search result.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein creating the new tag further comprises:

determining a number of unused spaces in the communication.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein selecting one of the resulting search results comprises:

selecting a search result with a link size that does not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result is based upon the determined number of unused spaces in the communication so that the size of both the created link and description do not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the steps of:

delivering the communication to the receiving device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the analyzing comprises first analyzing profile data about the receiving user and, upon a determination that profile data about the receiving user is not available, analyzing profile data about the sending user.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the analyzing comprises searching a user profile database containing data about the receiving user and the sending user.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with the operator comprises searching at least one preferred partner database containing data about the commercial relationship.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the data about the commercial relationship includes data about a rate for placement of a tag by an Internet service provider.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the popularity of the search result is determined by searching an Internet site index.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the recipient device is a mobile device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the communication is received at least partly over a mobile or cellular network.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the communication is a SMS or MMS message.

29. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive a communication being transmitted to a receiving device;

determine that a tag can be inserted within the communication, wherein the tag is an advertisement comprising a selectable link to content different than the first content with a short description of the selectable link;

check an available inventory of tags for a tag relevant to the first communication;

upon a determination that there is no tag relevant to the communication within the available inventory of tags, create a new tag relevant to the communication, wherein the new tag is different than the tags in the available inventory of tags and the new tag is created by;

analyzing at least one of the first content, profile data about a receiving user of the communication and profile data about a sending user of the communication to determine a search topic;

searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with an operator managing communications to the receiving device, for content based upon the search topic, the search resulting in at least one search result;

selecting one of the resulting search results; and

creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result to comprise a new tag;

insert the new tag into the communication; and

transmit the communication including the new tag inserted into the communication to the receiving device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein selecting one of the resulting search results is based upon a determined popularity of the search result.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein creating the new tag further comprises:

determining a number of unused spaces in the communication.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein selecting one of the resulting search results comprises:

selecting a search result with a link size that does not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein creating both a link to the selected search result and a description of the selected search result is based upon the determined number of unused spaces in the communication so that the size of both the created link and description do not exceed the determined number of unused spaces in the communication.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

deliver the communication to the receiving device.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the analyzing comprises first analyzing profile data about the receiving user and, upon a determination that profile data about the receiving user is not available, analyzing profile data about the sending user.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the analyzing comprises searching a user profile database containing data about the receiving user and the sending user.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the searching on at least one web site that has a commercial relationship with the operator comprises:

searching at least one preferred partner database containing data about the commercial relationship.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the data about the commercial relationship includes data about a rate for placement of a tag by an Internet service provider.

39. The system of claim 30, wherein the popularity of the search result is determined by searching an Internet site index.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the recipient device is a mobile device.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication is received at least partly over a mobile or cellular network.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication is a SMS or MMS message.